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DEEAROCHE. 

She  took  for  him  an  ark  of  bulrushes,  and  laid  it  in  the  flags. 


THE 


WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


MEDITATIONS 

ON 

SOME  TRAITS  OF  FEMININE  CHARACTER  RECORDED 
IN  SACRED  HISTORY. 


SELECTED  FROM  THE  WORKS  OF  BISHOP  HALL,  BISHOP  ANDREWES, 
CALVIN,  LIGHTFOOT,  AND  OTHER  WRITERS. 


Mill]  Stoelbe 

AFTER  RAFFAELLE,  GtJIPO,  GUERCINO,  ARY  SCHEFFER,  DELAROCHE, 
AND  OTHER  MASTERS. 


BOSTON : 

ROBERTS,  BROTHERS. 
1869. 


THE 


WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


EYE 

Lighffoot  . 

1 

SARAH 

3 

HAGAR  

Archbishop  Trench 

6 

THE  DISMISSAL  OF  HAGAR  . 

Calvin 

7 

THE  CITY  OF  REFUGE  . 

Keble 

10 

LOT’S  WIFE 

Bishop  Andrew®  s 

12 

ISAAC’S  BRIDE  .... 

16 

REBEKAH  

J.  Venn 

19 

THE  ANGEL  OF  MARRIAGE  . 

I.  Williams 

22 

JACOB’S  WIVES  .... 

24 

LEAH  AND  RACHEL  . 

25 

PHARAOH’S  DAUGHTER  . 

Robinson 

28 

MIRIAM 

Bishop  Hall 

30 

RAHAB  

Calvin 

34 

THE  DEATH  OF  SISERA  . 

36 

JAEL  ...... 

Dr.  Arnold 

38 

DEBORAH  

Bishop  Hall 

41 

JEPHTHAH’S  DAUGHTER 

Byron  . 

44 

JEPHTHAH’S  VOW 

Lightfoot  . 

45 

VI 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

DELILAH M.  Henry  ...  48 

RUTH Mrs.  Hemans  . . 50 

RUTH  AND  NAOMI  J.  Edwards  . . 51 

HANNAH Cecil  ....  55 

^ABIGAIL Bishop  Hall  . . 58 

A MOTHER’S  LOYE . S.  Rogers  . - . . 62 

THE  TWO  MOTHERS  ......  Bishop  Hall  . . 63 

THE  QUEEN  OF  SHEBA Hawker  ...  66 

THE  WIDOW  OF  ZAREPHATH  ....  I.  Williams  . . 68 

THE  SHUNAMITE Doddridge  ...  71 

JEZEBEL De  Saoy  ...  74 

ATHALIAH Milman  . . . 76 

THE  DEPOSED  QUEEN Drummond  ...  78 

VASHTI Bishop  Hall  . . 79 

DELIVERANCE Altenburg  ...  82 

ESTHER Donne  ....  83 

JOB’S  WIFE Basil  ....  87 


THE 


WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


EVE. 

LAM’S  story  is  all  wonder : dust  so  raised  to  become  so  brave 
a creature : that  bravery  so  soon  lost ; so  soon  repaired,  and 
so  bugely  repaired  to  a better  condition.  That  he  is  sensible 
of ; therefore  he  calls  his  wife’s  name  Eve,  because  mother  to  all  living, 
lie  had  named  her  as  to  her  sex ; now  he  gives  her  another  name  of 
distinction.  Then  she  was  called  woman,  because  she  was  taken  out  of 
man  ; now  Eve,  because  all  living  were  to  come  out  of  her.  Adam 
showed  wisdom  in  naming  the  beasts  ; here  he  shows  that  and  more, 
namely,  faith  and  sense  of  his  better  estate.  She  was  rather  the  mother 
of  Death,  having  done  that  that  brought  death  into  the  world ; but  he, 
sensible  of  a better  life  to  come  in  by  her,  calls  her  Eve,  Life,  as  the 
word  signifies. 

Lay  this  to  that  in  St.  John,  i.  4,  in  Him  was  life,  speaking  of 
Christ,  and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men.  Eve  was  the  mother  of  all 
living,  namely,  of  Christ,  and  all  that  iive  by  Him, 

So  that  hence  I make  this  observation,  that  Adam  and  Eve  believed 
and  obtained  life.  For  the  proof  of  this,  let  us  view  their  story. 

God  saith,  I will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman,  and 
between  thy  seed  and  her  seed : it  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt 
bruise  his  heel.  Satan  had  accompanied  with  them  till  this  promise 
came.  He  keeps  to  them,  to  cheer  them ; he  persuaded  them  to  hide 

B 


2 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


themselves  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  But  now  she  sets  him  at 
defiance.  She  sees  her  error  ; the  serpent,  saith  she,  deceived  me : 
grows  at  enmity  with  him,  having  now  a surer  comfort  promised,  to 
rely  upon. 

God  clothed  them  with  skins ; which  is  an  evidence  that  they 
sacrificed.  For  they  had  no  need  of  slaying  beasts  for  any  other 
purpose  : flesh  they  might  not  eat.  They  were  slain  for  sacrifice,  and 
their  skins  served  for  clothing.  Thus  body  and  soul  were  provided  for. 
And  in  these  sacrifices  they  looked  after  Christ,  and  saw  Him  in  figure. 
The  first  death  in  the  world  was  Christ’s  dying  in  figure.  Hoah  knew 
clean  and  unclean  beasts,  and  sacrificed.  This,  undoubtedly,  he  had 
learned  from  the  beginning. 

As  He  spake  by  the  mouth  of  His  holy  prophets,  which  have  been 
since  the  world  began,  says  Zacharias ; hinting,  that  from  the  very 
beginning  of  the  world,  there  were  prophets  of  the  Messias.  Thus 
Adam  was  a prophet  of  Christ : and  prophesied  of  Him  in  the  name  of 
Eve,  signifying  Life. 

The  promise  given  in  the  curse  of  Satan,  that  God  would  put 
enmity  between  the  seed  of  the  woman  and  the  seed  of  the  serpent,  and 
that  the  woman’s  seed  should  bruise  the  serpent’s  head : this  had  that 
effect  upon  them,  that  they  set  themselves  to  defy  Satan,  and  cleave  to 
the  seed  promised.  That  mercy,  that  created  them  in  an  instant  so 
perfect,  recovered  them  in  an  instant. 

They  "were  now  representative  no  more,  as  they  were  of  mankind 
before  the  fall.  They  were  stated  in  another  representative,  Christ. 
How  they  acted  for  themselves,  and  He  for  them.  Hence  their  faith 
was  not  imputed  to  posterity,  though  their  sin  was.  They  were  built 
on  another  foundation  than  they  were  before,  Then  it  was  on  nature, 
self-holiness,  freedom  of  will ; sandy  foundations,  because  changeable. 
How  on  a rock,  grace,  and  the  righteousness  of  Christ.  How  they  were 
under  a promise,  before  not.  That  Christ  should  break  the  head  of  the 
serpent,  contained  the  promise  of  all  good  things. 


John  Lightfoot. 


3 


SARAH. 


S Abraham  is  called  the  Father  of  the  faithful,  so  it  is 
also  said  to  godly  women  concerning  Sarah,  Whose  daughters 
ye  are  so  long  as  ye  do  well.  So  that  she  is  honoured 
with  this  title  of  being  the  mother  of  believers,  as  he  was  the  father. 

She  is  commended  for  her  faith ; for  the  author  to  the  Hebrews 
telleth  us,  that  by  faith  she  received  strength  to  conceive  seed,  and 
was  delivered  of  a son  when  she  was  past  age,  because  she  was 
persuaded  that  He  was  faithful  which  had  promised ; where  you  see 
the  nature  of  faith,  it  is  an  acknowledging  of  God’s  faithfulness,  a 
giving  Him  the  honour  of  his  faith,  and  setting  to  one’s  seal  that 
God  is  true.  Faith  causeth  the  mind  of  a man  to  submit  itself  to 
the  word  of  God,  and  to  be  assured  that  He  can  and  will  keep 
promise  ; for  to  the  promise  of  God  it  looketh  principally ; and  this 
faith  will  cause  a man  to  receive  power  from  God  to  do  those  things 
which  otherwise  of  himself  he  wanted  all  power  to  do.  This  faith 
will  make  a weak  man  strong,  it  will  put  fruitfulness  into  a barren 
womb,  and  life  and  strength  into  a dead  body ; it  will  make  a barren 
soul  fruitful  in  good  works,  and  make  the  heart  to  conceive  the 
word  so  as  to  bring  forth  the  fruit  of  good  living,  whereto  of  itself 
it  is  as  unable  as  a body  past  age  is  unapt  to  bring  forth  a child. 

Then  Sarah  in  respect  of  Abraham  her  husband  had  two  worthy 
virtues.  First  she  obeyed  her  husband.  Her  obedience  shewed  itself 
in  a cheerful  forwardness  to  prepare  things  necessary  to  entertain 
angels  that  came  unto  her  in  the  likeness  of  men,  for  it  is  said, 
Abraham  hasted  into  the  tent  to  Sarah,  and  bade  her  quickly  make 


4 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


ready  three  measures  of  fine  flour  and  make  cakes  upon  the  hearth, 
which  she  did  accordingly  without  grumbling  or  deferring.  She  did 
not  oppose  her  husband  and  demand,  Husband,  you  know  not  what 
these  men  be,  nor  whence  they  come,  why  should  you  make  such 
care  to  prepare  for  them  ? but  without  any  more  ado,  at  her  husband’s 
commandment,  she  got  all  things  ready  according  to  his  desire.  If 
any  say  that  this  was  but  a small  matter,  I answer,  true,  but  it  is 
reported  as  it  were  a taste  of  her  good  disposition  in  this  matter, 
and  a sign  of  her  dutiful  obedience,  the  glory  whereof  the  Holy  Ghost 
giveth  her  more  generally,  saying  that  she  obeyed  her  husband, 
meaning  constantly  and  generally  she  submitted  herself  and  was 
obedient. 

It  is  also  noted  of  her  that  she  reverenced  her  husband,  which 
is  also  commanded  to  wives  by  St.  Paul,  saying,  Let  the  wife  see  that 
she  fear  her  husband.  This  is  the  fear  of  the  wife,  not  to  dare  to 
displease  her  husband  or  anger  him,  not  so  much  lest  he  should  fly 
upon  her  with  reproofs  and  blows,  as  lest  she  should  be  an  instrument 
of  grief  to  one  whom  she  loveth  and  honoureth,  by  her  undutifulness 
and  rudeness.  And  it  must  be  noted,  that  she  did  so  reverence  him 
as  to  call  him  lord.  For  that  title  she  gave  him  even  in  her  inward 
cogitations,  when  she  said  in  herself  at  the  hearing  of  the  angel’s 
promise,  that  she  should  have  a son,  Shall  I have  pleasure  after  I 
have  waxed  old,  my  lord  being  old  also  ? 

And  now  let  us  consider  the  weaknesses  of  Sarah.  First,  she  was 
weak  in  faith ; for  this  caused  her  to  give  Hagar  to  Abraham  her 
husband,  and  so  to  bring  the  sin  of  polygamy  into  the  church  of 
God,  wherewith  it  may  seem  it  was  not  polluted  before.  She  doubted 
lest  herself  should  not  be  fruitful,  and  therefore  brought  Hagar  to 
him,  to  try  whether  the  promised  seed  might  come  of  her.  See  how 
when  God  promised  a thing  in  nature  and  reason  utterly  impossible, 
she  so  far  forgot  the  omnipotent  power  of  God  as  to  think  sure  it 
could  never  come  to  pass. 

Another  fault  of  Sarah’s  was  this,  that  once  she  for  gat  herself  to 


SARAH. 


5 


her  husband,  and  was  full  of  anger  and  discontent,  wrongfully  charg- 
ing him  to  take  her  maid’s  part  against  her,  saying,  My  wrong  be 
on  thee,  for  I have  given  my  maid  to  thee,  and  now  I am  despised 
in  her  sight.  It  was  true  that  Hagar  did  slight  her  too  much,  but 
that  Abraham  was  guilty  of  this  fault  by  bearing  out  Hagar  in  it, 
that  was  altogether  false,  as  his  answer  proveth  plainly  ; Thy  maid 
is  in  thine  hand,  do  with  her  what  thou  wilt.  So  Sarah’s  anger  made 
her  use  false  accusations  against  her  husband. 

But  another  weakness  of  Sarah  is,  that  she  was  somewhat  too 
rough  with  Hagar,  insomuch  that  Hagar  could  not  endure  it ; for 
if  she  was  so  violent  in  words  with  Abraham,  what  do  you  think 
her  carriage  was  to  the  maid  ? Yea,  she  was  something  too  earnest 
against  Ishmael  and  her  too,  when  nothing  would  serve  her  but 
that  she  must  have  them  both  together  cast  out  of  doors.  For  though 
God  bade  Abraham  do  according  to  her  words,  it  followeth  not  thence 
that  she  was  not  over-passionate  in  it.  God  for  a mystery  would  have 
it  done,  and  yet  Sarah  might  offend  in  doing  it. 

Sarah’s  last  fault  was,  that  she  denied  her  laughter  to  the  angel 
when  she  had  sinned  in  laughing.  To  lie  in  a passion  for  fear  of 
blame,  denying  that  one  hath  done  a thing  which  indeed  one  hath 
done,  that  so  one  may  escape  reprehension  or  correction,  is  a sin  to 
which  man’s  nature  is  very  subject,  springing  from  the  want  of  the 
fear  of  God,  and  from  an  excessive  carnal  love  to  oneself  and  desire 
of  his  own  temporal  safety. 

Yet  God  gave  her  faith  and  saving  grace,  pardoned  and  passed 
by  her  offences,  and  sanctified  her  and  hath  saved  her  soul  notwith- 
standing her  faults. 


William  Whately. 


6 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


HAGAR. 


ERS  was  a mother’s  heart, 

That  poor  Egyptian’s,  when  she  drew  apart, 
Because  she  would  not  see 
Her  child  beloved  in  his  last  agony  : 

When  her  sad  load  she  laid 

In  her  despair  beneath  the  scanty  shade 

In  the  wild  waste,  and  stept 

Aside,  and  long  and  passionately  wept. 

Yet  higher,  more  sublime, 

How  many  a mother,  since  that  ancient  time, 

Has  shown  the  mighty  power 
Of  love  divine  in  such  another  hour  ! 

Oh ! higher  love  to  wait 

East  by  the  sufferer  in  his  worst  estate, 

Nor  from  the  eyes  to  hide 

One  pang,  but  aye  in  courage  to  abide. 

And  though  no  angel  bring 

In  that  dark  hour  unto  a living  spring 

Of  gladness, — as  was  sent, 

Stilling  her  voice  of  turbulent  lament, — 

Oh ! higher  faith  to  show, 

Out  of  what  depths  of  anguish  and  of  woe, 

The  heart  is  strong  to  raise 

To  an  all-loving  Father  hymns  of  praise. 

Archbishop  Trench. 


7 


THE  DISMISSAL  OF  HAGAR. 


OW  painful  was  the  wound  which  the  ejection  of  his  first-born 
son  inflicted  upon  the  mind  of  Abraham,  we  may  gather  from 
the  double  consolation  with  which  God  mitigated  his  grief. 
He  sends  his  son  into  banishment,  just  as  if  he  were  tearing  out  his  own 
bowels.  But  being  accustomed  to  obey  God,  he  brings  into  subjection 
the  paternal  love  which  he  is  not  able  wholly  to  cast  aside.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  during  the  whole  night  he  had  been  tossed  with  various 
cares ; that  he  had  a variety  of  internal  conflicts,  and  endured  severe 
torments ; yet  he  arose  early  in  the  morning,  to  hasten  his  separation 
from  his  child,  since  he  knew  that  it  was  the  will  of  God. 

Moses  intimates,  not  only  that  Abraham  committed  his  son  to  the 
care  of  his  mother,  but  that  he  relinquished  his  own  paternal  right  over 
him ; for  it  was  necessary  for  this  son  to  be  alienated,  that  he  might 
not  afterwards  be  accounted  the  seed  of  Abraham.  But  with  what  a 
slender  provision  does  he  endow  his  wife  and  her  son  ! He  places  a 
flagon  of  water  and  bread  upon  her  shoulder.  Why  does  he  not  at 
least  load  an  ass  with  a moderate  supply  of  food  ? Why  does  he  not 
add  one  of  his  servants,  of  which  his  house  contained  plenty,  as  a 
companion  ? Truly  either  God  shut  his  eyes,  that  what  he  would 
gladly  have  done  might  not  come  into  his  mind ; or  Abraham  limited 
her  provision  in  order  that  she  might  not  go  far  from  his  house.  For 
doubtless  he  would  prefer  to  have  them  near  himself,  for  the  purpose  of 
rendering  them  such  assistance  as  they  would  need. 

Meanwhile,  God  designed  that  the  banishment  of  Ishmael  should  be 
thus  severe  and  sorrowful ; in  order  that,  by  his  example,  He  might 


8 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


strike  terror  into  the  proud,  who,  being  intoxicated  with  present  gifts, 
trample  under  foot  in  their  haughtiness  the  very  grace  to  which  they 
are  indebted  for  all  things.  Therefore  He  brought  the  mother  and 
child  to  a distressing  issue.  For  after  they  had  wandered  into  the 
desert,  the  water  fails ; and  the  mother  departs  from  her  son,  which 
was  a token  of  despair.  Such  was  the  reward  of  the  pride  by  which 
they  had  been  vainly  inflated.  It  had  been  their  duty  humbly  to 
embrace  the  grace  of  God  offered  to  all  people  in  the  person  of  Isaac : 
but  they  impiously  spurned  him  whom  God  had  exalted  to  the  highest 
honour.  And  because  nothing  was  more  desirable  for  them  than  to 
retain  some  corner  in  Abraham’s  house,  they  ought  not  to  have  shrunk 
from  any  kind  of  subjection  for  the  sake  of  so  great  a benefit.  God 
now  exacts  from  them  the  punishment  which  they  had  deserved  by 
their  ingratitude. 

God  heard  the  voice  of  the  lad.  Moses  had  said  before,  that  Hagar 
wept : how  is  it  then  that  disregarding  her  tears,  God  only  hears  the 
voice  of  the  lad?  It  is  not  said  that  their  vows  and  sighs  were 
directed  towards  heaven ; it  is  rather  to  be  believed,  that  in  bewailing 
their  miseries,  they  did  not  resort  to  divine  help.  But  God,  in  assisting 
them,  had  respect,  not  to  what  they  desired  of  Him,  but  to  what  He 
had  promised  to  Abraham,  concerning  Ishmael.  In  this  sense,  Moses 
seems  to  say  that  the  voice  of  the  boy  was  heard,  namely,  because  he 
was  the  son  of  Abraham. 

The  angel  reproves  the  ingratitude  of  Hagar ; because,  when 
reduced  to  the  greatest  straits,  she  does  not  reflect  on  God’s  former 
kindness  to  her  in  similar  danger : so  that,  as  one  who  had  found  Him 
to  be  a deliverer,  she  might  again  cast  herself  upon  His  faithfulness. 
Nevertheless  the  angel  assures  her  that  a remedy  is  prepared  for  her 
sorrows,  if  only  she  will  seek  it.  In  the  clause, — What  aileth  thee? 
is  a reproof  for  having  tormented  herself  in  vain  by  confused  lamenta- 
tion. When  he  afterwards  says,  Fear  not,  he  invites  and  exhorts 
her  to  hope  for  mercy. 

To  relieve  the  despair  of  the  anxious  mother,  the  angel  commands 


HAGAR. 


9 


her  to  return  to  the  place  where  she  had  laid  down  her  son.  For,  as 
is  usual  in  desperate  circumstances,  she  had  become  stupefied  through 
grief ; and  would  have  lain  as  one  lifeless,  unless  she  had  been  roused 
by  the  voice  of  the  angel.  We  perceive,  moreover,  in  this  example, 
how  truly  it  is  said  that  when  father  and  mother  forsake  us,  the  Lord 
will  take  us  up. 

In  order  that  she  might  have  more  courage  to  bring  up  her  son, 
God  confirms  to  her  what  He  had  before  often  promised  to  Abraham. 
Indeed,  nature  itself  prescribes  to  mothers  what  they  owe  to  their 
children ; but  as  I have  lately  hinted,  all  the  natural  feelings  of  Hagar 
would  have  been  destroyed  unless  God  had  revived  her,  by  inspiring 
new  confidence,  to  address  herself  with  fresh  vigour  to  the  fulfilment  of 
her  maternal  office.  With  respect  to  the  fountain,  or  well,  some  think 
it  suddenly  sprung  up.  But  since  Moses  says  that  the  eyes  of  Hagar 
were  opened,  and  not  that  the  earth  was  opened  or  dug  up,  I rather 
incline  to  the  opinion  that,  having  been  previously  astonished  with 
grief,  she  did  not  discern  what  was  plainly  before  her  eyes ; but  now, 
at  length,  after  God  has  restored  her  vision,  she  begins  to  see  it.  And 
it  is  worthy  of  especial  notice,  that  when  God  leaves  us  destitute  of 
His  superintendence,  and  takes  away  His  grace  from  us,  we  are  as 
much  deprived  of  all  the  aids  which  are  close  at  hand,  as  if  they  were 
removed  to  the  greatest  distance.  Therefore,  we  must  ask,  not  only 
that  He  would  bestow  upon  us  such  things  as  will  be  useful  to  us,  but 
that  He  will  also  impart  prudence  to  enable  us  to  use  them ; otherwise, 
it  will  be  our  lot  to  faint,  with  closed  eyes,  in  the  midst  of  fountains. 

John  Calvin. 


c 


10 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


THE  CITY  OF  REFUGE. 


NGEL  of  wrath  ! why  linger  in  mid  air, 

While  the  devoted  city’s  cry 
Louder  and  louder  swells?  and  canst  thou  spare, 
Thy  full-charged  vial  standing  by  ? 5 
Thus,  with  stern  voice,  unsparing  J ustice  pleads  : 

He  hears  her  not — with  softened  gaze 
His  eye  is  following  where  sweet  Mercy  leads, 

And  till  she  give  the  sign,  his  fury  stays. 

Guided  by  her,  along  the  mountain  road, 

Far  through  the  twilight  of  the  morn, 

With  hurrying  footsteps  from  the  acdoirsed  abode, 

He  sees  the  holy  household  borne : 

Angels,  or  more,  on  either  hand  are  nigh, 

To  speed  them  o’er  the  tempting  plain, 

Lingering  in  heart,  and  with  frail  sidelong  eye 
Seeking  how  near  they  may  unharmed  remain. 

‘ Ah  ! wherefore  gleam  those  upland  slopes  so  fair  ? 

And  why,  through  every  woodland  arch, 

Swells  yon  bright  vale,  as  Eden  rich  and  rare, 

Where  Jordan  winds  his  stately  march ; 

If  all  must  be  forsaken,  ruined  all, 

If  God  have  planted  but  to  burn  ? 

Surely  not  yet  the  avenging  shower  will  fall, 

Though  to  my  home  for  one  last  look  I turn.’ 

Thus  while  they  waver,  surely  long  ago 
They  had  provoked  the  withering  blast, 

But  that  the  merciful  avengers  know 
Their  frailty  well,  and  hold  them  fast. 


THE  CITY  OF  REFUGE. 


11 


‘Haste,  for  thy  life  escape,  nor  look  behind — ’ 

Ever  in  thrilling  sounds  like  these 
They  check  the  wandering  eye,  severely  kind, 

Nor  let  the  sinner  lose  his  soul  at  ease. 

And  when,  o’erwearied  with  the  steep  ascent, 

We  for  a nearer  refuge  crave, 

One  little  spot  of  ground  in  mercy  lent, 

One  hour  of  home  before  the  grave, 

Oft  in  his  pity  o’er  his  children  weak, 

His  hand  withdraws  the  penal  fire, 

And  where  we  fondly  cling,  forbears  to  wreak 
Full  vengeance,  till  our  hearts  are  weaned  entire. 

Thus,  by  the  merits  of  one  righteous  man, 

The  Church,  our  Zoar,  shall  abide, 

Till  she  abuse,  so  sore,  her  lengthened  span, 

E’en  Mercy’s  self  her  face  must  hide. 

Then,  onward  yet  a step,  thou  hard- won  soul ; 

Though  in  the  Church  thou  know  thy  place, 

The  mountain  farther  lies — there  seek  thy  goal, 

There  breathe  at  large,  o’erpast  thy  dangerous  race. 

Sweet  is  the  smile  of  home  ; the  mutual  look 
When  hearts  are  of  each  other  sure; 

Sweet  all  the  joys  that  crowd  the  household  nook, 

The  haunt  of  all  affections  pure  ; 

Yet  in  the  world  e’en  these  abide,  and  we 
Above  the  world  our  calling  boast : 

Once  gain  the  mountain- top,  and  thou  art  free  : 

Till  then,  who  rest,  presume  ; who  turn  to  look,  are  lost. 

John  Keble. 


12 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


LOT’S  WIFE. 

UR  Saviour  Christ,  after  a special  manner,  commendeth  unto 
us  this  story  of  Lot’s  wife.  Of  which  thus  much  we  may 
say,  that  it  is  the  only  one  story  which,  of  all  the  stories  of 
the  Old  Testament,  He  maketh  His  choice  of  to  put  in  His  memento ; 
which  He  would  have  them  which  have  forgotten  to  remember,  and 
those  that  remember  never  to  forget.  Oft  to  repair  to  this  story,  and 
to  fetch  salt  from  this  pillar  : that  they  lose  not  that  they  have  done, 
and  so  perish  in  the  recidivation  of  Lot’s  wife. 

The  angel  had  given  charge  to  Lot  and  his  company,  Scape  for  thy 
life  ; stay  not  in  the  plain  ; look  not  once  behind  thee,  lest  thou  perish. 
Scape  for  thy  life — she  trifled  for  all  that,  as  if  no  peril  were.  Stay 
not  in  the  plain — yet  stayed  she  behind.  Look  not  back  lest  thou  die 
— she  would  and  did  look  back,  to  die  for  it.  So  that  she  did  all  that 
she  was  forbid,  and  regarded  none  of  the  angel’s  words,  but  despised 
the  counsel  of  Grod  against  her  own  soul.  This  was  her  sin,  the  sin  of 
disobedience,  but  consisteth  of  sundry  degrees  by  which  she  fell, 
needful  all  to  be  remembered. 

The  first  was,  that  she  did  not  strictly  keep  her  to  the  angel’s 
charge,  but  dallied  with  it,  and  regarded  it  by  halves  ; that  is,  say 
what  he  would,  she  might  use  the  matter  as  she  would;  go,  or^tay  and 
look  about  as  she  list.  Such  light  regard  is  like  enough  to  have  grown 
of  a wandering  distrust ; lest  haply  she  had  left  Sodom  in  vain,  and 
the  angel  feared  them  with  that  which  never  should  be.  The  sun  rose 
so  clear,  and  it  was  so  goodly  a morning,  she  repented  she  came  away. 
Reckoning  her  sons-in-law  more  wise  in  staying  still,  than  Lot  and 


lot’s  wife. 


13 


herself  in  so  unwisely  departing.  Which  is  the  sin  of  unbelief,  the 
bane  both  of  constancy  and  perseverance.  Constancy  in  the  purpose  of 
our  mind,  and  perseverance  in  the  tenor  of  our  life. 

From  this  grew  the  second,  that  she  began  to  tire  and  draw  behind, 
and  kept  not  pace  with  Lot  and  the  angels.  An  evil  sign.  For  ever 
fainting  is  next  step  to  forsaking ; and  a preparative  to  a giving  clean 
over.  He  that  hath  not  list  to  follow,  saith  Solomon,  will  pick  some 
quarrel  or  other  to  be  cast  behind. 

This  tiring,  had  it  grown  of  weakness,  or  weariness,  or  want  of 
breath,  might  have  been  borne  with ; but  it  came  of  another  cause, 
which  is  the  third  degree.  It  was,  saith  the  Scripture,  at  least  to  look 
back,  and  to  cast  her  eye  to  the  place  her  soul  longed  after.  Which 
sheweth  that  the  love  of  Sodom  sticked  in  her  still ; that  though  her 
feet  were  come  from  thence,  her  heart  stayed  there  behind ; and  that 
in  look  and  thought  she  returned  thither,  whither  in  body  she  might 
not,  hut  possibly  would  in  body  too,  if  as  Nineveh  did,  so  Sodom  had 
still  remained. 

Looking  back  might  proceed  of  divers  causes  ; so  might  this  of  hers, 
but  that  Christ’s  application  directs  us.  The  verse  before  saith,  Some- 
what in  the  house : something  left  behind  affected  her,  of  which  He 
giveth  us  warning.  She  grew  weary  of  trouble,  and  of  shifting  so  oft. 
From  IJr  to  Haran;  thence  to  Canaan;  thence  to  Egypt;  thence  to 
Canaan  again ; then  to  Sodom,  and  now  to  Zoar  ; and  that  in  her  old 
days,  when  she  would  fainest  have  been  at  rest.  Therefore  in  this  weari- 
some conceit  of  new  trouble  now  to  begin,  and  withal  remembering 
the  convenient  seat  she  had  in  Sodom,  she  even  desired  to  die  by  her 
flesh-pots,  and  to  be  buried  in  the  graves  of  lust ; wished  them  at  Zoar 
that  would,  and  herself  at  Sodom  again,  desiring  rather  to  end  her  life 
with  ease  in  that  stately  city  than  to  remove,  and  be  safe  perhaps,  and 
perhaps  not,  in  the  desolate  mountains.  And  this  was  the  sin  of 
restiness  of  soul,  which  affected  her  eyes  and  knees,  and  was  the  cause 
of  all  the  former.  WTien  men  weary  of  a good  course  which  long  they 
have  holden,  for  a little  ease  or  wealth,  or  I wot  not  what  other  secular 


14 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


respect,  they  fall  away  in  the  end,  so  losing  the  praise  and  fruit  of 
their  former  perseverance,  and  relapsing  into  the  danger  and  destruc- 
tion, from  which  they  had  so  near  escaped. 

Behold,  these  were  the  sins  of  Lot’s  wife : a wavering  of  mind, 
slow  steps,  the  convulsion  of  her  neck — all  these  caused  her  weariness 
and  fear  of  new  trouble — she  preferred  Sodom’s  ease  before  Zoar’s 
safety.  Bemember  Lot’s  wife. 

At  that  instant  she  woefully  perished,  when  God’s  special  favour 
was  proffered  to  preserve  her,  and  when,  of  all  other  times,  she  had 
means  and  cause  to  stand,  then,  of  all  other  times,  she  fell  away.  Many 
were  the  mercies  she  found  and  felt  at  God’s  hands  by  this  very  title, 
that  she  was  Lot’s  wife.  For  by  it  she  was  incorporated  into  the  house 
and  family,  and  made  partaker  of  the  blessings  of  the  faithful  Abraham. 
It  was  a mercy  to  be  delivered  from  the  errors  of  ITr ; a mercy  to  be 
kept  safe  in  Egypt ; a mercy  to  be  preserved  from  the  sin  of  Sodom ; a 
mercy  to  be  delivered  from  the  captivity  of  the  five  kings ; and  this, 
the  last  and  greatest  mercy,  that  she  was  sought  to  be  delivered  from 
the  perishing  of  the  five  cities.  This,  no  doubt,  doth  mightily  aggra- 
vate the  offence,  that,  so  many  ways  before  remembered  by  God  in 
trouble,  she  so  coldly  remembered  Him,  and  that  now  presently,  being 
offered  grace,  she  knoweth  not  the  day  of  her  visitation ; but  being 
brought  out  of  Sodom,  and  warned  of  the  danger  that  might  ensue, 
having  the  angels  to  go  before  her,  Lot  to  bear  her  company,  her 
daughters  to  attend  her,  and  being  now  at  the  entrance  of  Zoar,  the 
haven  of  her  rest;  this  very  time,  place,  and  presence  she  maketh 
choice  of  to  perish  in,  and  to  cast  away  that  which  God  would  have 
saved;  in  respect  of  herself,  desperately;  of  the  angels,  contemptuously; 
of  her  husband  and  daughters,  scandalously;  of  God  and  His  favours, 
unthankfully;  forsaking  her  own  mercy,  and  perishing  in  the  sin  of 
wilful  defection. 

The  sound  of  death  is  fearful,  what  death  soever ; yet  it  is  made 
more  fearful  four  ways,  which  all  be  in  this  of  hers. 

We  desire  to  die  with  respite,  and  sudden  death  we  fear  and  pray 


lot’s  wife. 


15 


against.  Her  death  was  sudden:  back  she  looked,  and  never  looked 
forward  more.  It  was  her  last  look. 

We  desire  to  have  remorse  of  sin  ere  we  be  taken  away,  and  death 
in  the  very  act  of  sin  is  most  dangerous.  Her  death  was  so.  She  died 
in  the  very  convulsion — she  died  with  her  face  to  Sodom. 

We  would  die  the  common  death  of  mankind,  and  be  visited  after 
the  visitation  of  other  men,  and  an  unusual  strange  death  is  full  of 
terror.  Hers  was  so.  God’s  own  hand  from  heaven,  by  a strange  and 
fearful  visitation. 

Our  wish  is  to  die,  and  to  be  buried,  and  not  to  remain  a spectacle 
above  ground,  which  nature  abhorreth.  She  so  died,  as  she  remained  a 
spectacle  of  God’s  wrath,  and  a by- word  to  posterity,  and  as  many  as 
passed  by.  For  until  Christ’s  time,  and  after,  this  monument  was  still 
extant,  and  remained  undefaced  so  many  hundred  years.  Josephus,  a 
writer  of  good  account,  which  lived  after  this,  saith,  I myself  have  seen 
and  beholden  it,  for  it  stands  to  be  seen  to  this  day. 

A reed  she  was;  a pillar  she  is,  which  she  seemed  to  be,  but 
was  not.  She  was  melting  water ; she  is  congealed  salt.  Thus  have 
we  both  her  fault  and  punishment.  Let  us  remember  both ; to  shun 
the  fault,  that  the  penalty  light  not  on  us. 


Bishop  Andrewes. 


16 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


ISAAC’S  BRIDE. 

READ  in  God’s  great  holy  book 
The  tale  of  Isaac’s  bridal  tent ; 

And  like  the  murmur  of  a brook, 
brings  to  ‘ one  in  city  pent ’ 

Gleams  of  the  country  far  away, 

Of  blossomed  orchards  in  their  glory, 

And  clover-fields,  and  scented  hay) 

Were  thoughts  that  came  with  that  sweet  story  ; 

Till  I was  rapt  into  a dream 

Of  olden  days,  and  eastern  clime, 

Wherein  I saw  (or  so  did  seem), 

The  men  of  patriarchal  time, 

The  pastoral  chiefs  who  spake  with  God, 

The  veiled  maid,  the  comely  wife, 

The  rich  flocks  scattered  o’er  the  sod, 

And  all  the  charms  of  tented  life. 


(That 


The  desert’s  burning  breath  I felt, 

I heard  the  camels’  tinkling  bell ; 
And  when  the  faithful  servant  knelt 
At  even  by  the  city  well, 


Isaac’s  bride. 


17 


I saw  his  young  lord’s  destined  bride — 
A damsel  very  fair,  and  young — 
Come  tripping  to  the  water-side, 

Her  pitcher  on  her  shoulder  slung. 


I marked  his  wonder,  as  the  dew 

She  scattered  round  the  fountain’s  brink, 
While  in  her  courteous  haste  she  drew 
And  gave  the  weary  camels  drink. 

I watched  what  blushes  bright  and  warm 
To  cheek  and  brow  did  instant  spring, 
When  on  the  maiden’s  delicate  arm 
He  hung  the  heavy  golden  ring. 


I saw  the  feast  of  welcome  spread, 

While  loud  he  praised  his  master’s  lord  ; 

I heard  how  well  the  wooing  sped, 

How  gentle  was  the  kinsman’s  word, 

Content  — since  God  had  willed  it  so, 

That  hand  and  heart  the  maid  hath  given, 
And  when  she  whispered,  ‘ I will  go,’ 

They  blessed  her  with  the  wealth  of  heaven. 


Another  eve — and  Hebron  lay 
All  flooded  with  a tender  light — 

The  last  tints  of  a rosy  ray 

That  lingers  somewhere  out  of  sight, — 

What  time,  the  long  day’s  labour  done, 

Came  Isaac  from  the  green  well- side, 

Out  in  the  quiet  fields  alone 
To  meditate  at  eventide. 

D 


18 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


He  saw  afar  tlie  dust  uprise, 

The  camel- driver’s  song  he  heard  ; 

But  who  is  she  that  lifts  her  eyes, 

Then  hides  them,  like  a frightened  bird  ? 

A trembling  thing  with  covered  face 
Into  his  mother’s  tent  he  led, 

And  set  her  there,  in  Sarah’s  place, 

And  loved  her,  and  was  comforted. 

Sure  Such  a tale,  so  sweet,  so  fair, 

Around  our  hearts  should  linger  long, 

Familiar  as  a household  air, 

And  soothing  as  a cradle  song. 

And  we  may  learn  of  their  meek  ways, 

Their  trustful  faith  in  heaven  above, 

Their  calm  of  unambitious  days, 

Their  simple  truth,  and  modest  love. 

C.  F.  Alexander. 


19 


REBEKAH 


HE  Lord  replied  to  the  enquiries  of  Rebekah  concerning  hex* 
children,  by  saying,  that  they  should  be  the  heads  of  two 
nations,  and  that  the  elder  should  serve  the  younger.  Thus 
was  a prophecy  delivered  that  Esau  should  serve  J acob ; or,  at  least, 
that  the  posterity  of  Esau  should  serve  that  of  Jacob,  It  may  please 
God  to  foretel  future  events,  but  it  is  not  therefore  our  duty  to 
endeavour,  by  crooked  means,  to  bring  them  to  pass.  God  does  not 
give  us  prophecy  for  our  rule  of  conduct.  He  will  accomplish  His 
purposes  in  His  own  manner.  It  may  be  happy  for  us  that  we  under- 
stand so  little  of  His  secret  purposes.  In  this  very  instance,  some 
knowledge  of  His  intention  may  possibly  have  laid  the  foundation  of 
the  fraud  of  Jacob,  and  the  unhappiness  of  Rebekah. 

Parents  are  frequently  disappointed  in  their  offspring,  and  troubled 
during  their  lives,  through  a cause  which  they  little  suspect.  They 
complain  of  their  children,  when  perhaps  the  fault  may  be  in  them- 
selves. They  have  indulged  an  early  partiality,  founded  upon  no  just 
reasons,  which  has  been  productive  on  each  side  of  the  worst  effects. 
There  is  but  one  true  ground  of  preference  with  respect  to  children,  to 
friends,  to  neighbours,  to  acquaintance,  namely,  that  of  real  excellence. 
But  how  many  false,  and  frivolous,  and  artificial  distinctions,  have  been 
introduced  by  the  caprice,  the  pride,  the  false  taste  of  the  world.  The 
case  of  Isaac  and  Rebekah  illustrates  this  remark.  Their  own  un- 
happiness, and  the  discord  of  their  children,  were  chiefly  referable  to  a 
foolish  and  unfounded  partiality  in  themselves.  Isaac  loved  Esau, 
because  he  did  eat  of  his  venison ; and  Rebekah  loved  J acob,  because 


20 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


his  temper  and  habits  led  him  to  be  much  with  her  in  the  tent.  When 
will  men  learn  to  watch  their  partialities,  their  prejudices,  and  their 
passions  ? 

Isaac  was  old,  and  his  eyes  were  dim,  so  that  he  could  not  see,  being 
perhaps  considerably  more  than  a hundred  years  old.  Uncertain  how 
soon  his  death  might  take  place,  he  determines  to  give  his  solemn  and 
prophetic  blessing  to  his  eldest  son.  Bebekah  hears  him  express  his 
intention ; and  now  all  her  feelings  for  her  favourite  J acob  are  called 
forth.  Hitherto,  perhaps,  her  partiality  had  displayed  itself  in  trifles, 
though  it  had  produced  the  most  mischievous  consequences.  How, 
however,  where  a peculiar  temptation  occurred,  she  proceeds  to  sacrifice 
to  it  truth,  honour,  justice,  and  common  honesty.  We  ought  to  judge 
of  the  evil  of  our  passions,  not  by  the  effects  which  they  have  produced, 
but  rather  by  those  which  they  may  produce  under  circumstances  of 
temptation.  The  criminality  of  Bebekah’ s partiality,  which  perhaps 
she  had  not  suspected,  now  discovered  itself.  It  led  her  to  deceive,  to 
lie,  and  to  defraud.  It  was  obviously  her  duty  to  leave  to  Gfod  the 
performance  of  His  promise.  But  she  considered  the  hour  as  come. 
Isaac  would  in  a few  hours  give  the  blessing  to  Esau,  and  Jacob  would 
be  deprived  of  it.  What  must  she  do  P Hot  a moment  was  to  be  lost. 
The  design  of  God  to  give  the  superiority  to  Jacob  would,  she  thought, 
excuse  some  degree  of  fraud.  She  meant  to  further  the  divine  inten- 
tions. But  we  ought  to  know  that  the  secret,  and  even  the  revealed 
decrees  of  the  Almighty,  make  no  change  in  the  moral  evil  of  an  action. 
God  may  as  sincerely  punish  the  man  who  executes,  as  the  man  who 
opposes  His  will,  if  each  is  alike  acting  in  his  own  spirit,  and  pursuing 
his  own  ends. 

Bebekah  having  formed  her  plan,  communicates  it  to  Jacob.  Two 
reasons  might  concur  in  leading  him  to  fall  in  with  it ; regard  for  his 
mother,  and  jealousy  of  Esau,  arising  out  of  his  father’s  partiality. 
Scruples  would  indeed  obtrude ; but  interest  would  plead  irresistibly 
against  them.  Probably,  also,  he  might  infer  from  the  prophecy, 
that  God  intended  for  him  the  blessing ; or  assume  that  he  was  entitled 


REBEKA.H. 


21 


to  it  by  right  of  purchase.  How  awfully  does  interest  pervert  the 
judgment,  and  palliate  the  worst  actions. 

While  Jacob  hesitates,  Rebekah  is  not  afraid  to  urge  him  to  the 
imposture : Upon  me  be  the  curse,  my  son  ; only  obey  my  voice.  Oh, 
what  a situation  for  a mother  — for  a mother  who,  it  might  be  hoped, 
had  been  a suitable  companion  for  the  patriarch  Isaac  — urging  her  son 
to  an  act  of  fraud  upon  his  father,  and  perfidy  towards  his  brother,  and 
using  her  maternal  authority  to  ensure  compliance  ! Upon  me  be  the 
curse  ! But  this  would  not  acquit  Jacob : the  punishment  fell  with  a 
heavy  weight  upon  both. 

Their  imposture  had  succeeded ; but  it  was  a success  which  em- 
bittered the  whole  life  both  of  Jacob  and  of  his  parent.  Rebekah,  the 
contriver  of  the  fraud,  was  deprived  of  her  favourite  child,  probably 
for  the  remainder  of  her  days.  He  who  should  have  been  the  stay  and 
the  consolation  of  her  declining  years,  was  a stranger  in  a distant  land, 
banished  from  his  home  by  means  of  an  act  of  sin.  How  bitter  would 
be  the  blessing  which  it  cost  so  much  to  obtain ! How,  as  he  wandered 
a fugitive  from  his  father’s  house,  would  the  very  object  of  the  fraud 
seem  to  be  defeated  ! Instead  of  the  elder  serving  the  younger,  Jacob 
was  a poor  and  banished  stranger  in  continual  terror  of  his  brother. 

John  Venn. 


22 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


THE  ANGEL  OF  MARRIAGE, 

WAS  God  Himself  to  Adam  brought 
His  one  appointed  bride  ; 

And  by  Himself  the  gift  that  wrought, 
The  gift  was  sanctified. 

And  for  his  son  when  Abraham  sent 
To  seek  the  destined  maid, 

God's  angel-watch  before  him  went, 

And  all  their  path  arrayed. 

I deem  that  these — and  such  as  these, 

Unknown  to  sight  or  sense, 

Ho  speak  in  marriage  destinies 
Unwonted  providence. 

A special  guiding  beyond  all 
Mysteriously  attends, 

By  Him  who  makes  the  secret  call, 

And  hallows  all  the  ends. 

And  therefore  those  I deem  unwise, 

Fond  tales  of  earthly  love, 

Which  seem,  to  trifle  with  the  ties 
Hid  in  God’s  hand  above. 


THE  ANGEL  OF  MARRIAGE. 


23 


Of  patient  fear  we  need  far  more, 

And  more  of  faith’s  repose, 

Of  looking  more  to  God  before, 

Till  He  His  will  disclose. 

For  better  far  than  passion’s  glow, 

Or  anght  of  worldly  choice, 

To  listen  His  own  will  to  know, 

And  listening  hear  His  voice. 

To  fear  lest  led  by  Heaven’s  own  guide, 
We  have  a human  will, 

Which  clings  for  evil  to  our  side, 

Its  judgments  to  fulfil. 

And  in  these  thoughts  to  read  the  sign 
Of  nobler  things  allied, 

To  know  a leading  more  divine, 

A more  enduring  Bride. 

If  thus  a watch  peculiar  waits 
On  marriages  below, 

So  intertwined  with  human  fates, 

For  this  world’s  weal  or  woe; 

How  beautiful,  how  sweet  the  Guide, 
When  God  shall  send  His  Dove, 

And  lead  us  onward  by  our  side, 

To  everlasting  Love ! 


Isaac  Williams. 


24 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


JACOB’S  WIVES. 


OW  Jacob  rests  where  all  bis  kindred  are, — 
The  exile  from  the  land  in  which  of  old 
His  fathers  lived  and  died,  he  comes  from  far 
To  mix  his  ashes  with  their  sacred  mould. 

There  where  he  stood  with  Esau,  in  the  cold 
Him  passage  of  the  vault,  with  holy  trust 
His  sons  lay  down  the  venerable  dust. 

They  laid  him  close  by  Leah,  where  she  sleeps 
Far  from  her  Syrian  home,  and  never  knows 
That  Reuben  kneels  beside  her  feet  and  weeps, 

Nor  glance  of  kindly  recognition  throws 
Upon  her  stately  sons  from  that  repose  ; 

His  Rachel  rests  far- sundered  from  his  side, 

Upon  the  way  to  Bethlehem,  where  she  died. 

Sleep  on,  0 weary  saint ! thy  bed  is  blest, 

Thou,  with  the  pilgrim-staff  of  faith,  hast  passed 
Another  Jordan  into  endless  rest : 

Well  may  they  sleep  who  can  serenely  cast 
A look  behind,  while  darkness  closes  fast 
Upon  their  path,  and  breathe  thy  parting  word, 

‘ For  Thy  salvation  I have  waited,  Lord  ! ’ 


J.  H.  Burns. 


25 


LEAII  AND  EACHEL. 


HE  holy  writers  of  old  speak  in  a peculiar  manner  of  Jacob 
and  all  that  appertains  to  him ; they  do  not  dwell  so  much  on 
the  incidents  of  history  as  such,  hut  speak  of  them  as  full  of 
the  Gospel  in  type  and  figure.  But  more  especially  I would  notice  what 
is  said  respecting  his  two  wives,  Leah  and  Rachel.  It  may  he  also 
partly  owing  to  the  evil  and  sorrow  which  is  bound  up  with  the  history 
of  them  and  their  children,  that  good  men  have  delighted  to  let  their 
minds  rest  on  the  goodness  of  God  and  the  things  prepared  for  them 
that  love  Him,  which  He  foreshadowed  and  brought  about  through 
their  instrumentality,  and  to  meditate  therein  on  the  mysteries  of  faith, 
rather  than  on  the  earthly  side  of  that  picture.  So  it  has  been  that 
Leah  and  Rachel  have  been  considered  in  the  Church  as  representing 
the  two  states  of  those  who  by  faith  are  made  partakers  with  the  Israel 
of  God.  Leah  speaks  of  action ; Rachel  of  contemplation  ; both  must 
be  combined  in  the  true  Israelite  of  God  ; they  cannot  be  separated ; 
labour  and  love ; toil  and  rest ; nor  can  we  have  one  without  the  other. 

The  history  of  itself  is  in  many  respects  a painful  one — -the  deceiv- 
ings  of  Laban ; the  double  marriage ; the  envyings  of  Rachel ; her  com- 
plainings to  her  husband,  rather  than,  as  Hannah,  in  like  case,  to  God; 
her  retaining  and  hiding  secretly  the  images  of  idolatry,  the  undeserved 
humiliation  and  sorrows  of  Leah  that  move  the  compassions  of  God  to 
espouse  her  cause ; the  sinful  children  of  Leah  ; these  are  sad  and  evil. 
Yet,  notwithstanding  these,  there  is  a thread  of  deepest  interest  running 
through  the  whole  history,  in  the  religious  thankfulness  and  patience  of 
Leah  ; and  in  all  memorials  of  her  who  was  the  mother  of  the  holy 

E 


26 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


Joseph,  beloved  of  God  and  man,  and  of  the  blameless  Benjamin.  And 
who  is  there  that  can  forget  the  well  of  Bach  el,  where  Jacob,  when  he 
first  beheld  her,  lifted  up  his  voice  and  wept  ? And  the  tomb  of  Bachel, 
where,  it  is  said,  Jacob  set  up  a pillar  upon  her  grave : that  is 
the  pillar  of  Bachel’ s grave  unto  this  day.  To  all  ages  were  the 
remembrances  of  that  tomb,  on  the  way  to  Bethlehem-Ephrata,  as  the 
fragrance  that  remained  of  a fair  and  sweet  flower.  For  it  was  of  that 
grave  that  the  Gospel  speaks  in  the  mourning  for  the  little  children  at 
Christ’s  birth,  as  Bachel  weeping  for  her  children.  Thus,  I say,  while 
the  literal  and  plain  history  is  full  of  sacred  associations,  we  are  glad 
to  find  in  the  history  lessons  of  further  good,  and  to  dwell  on  those 
beautiful  treasures  of  Christian  wisdom  which  it  has  been  supposed 
to  contain.  The  goodly  and  fair  flower  fadeth,  but  the  healthful 
medicine  extracted  from  it  remains. 

Further,  in  excuse  for  thus  considering  it,  we  may  observe  how 
often  Holy  Scripture  dwells  on  the  images  of  human  love,  in  speaking 
of  that  which  is  divine.  And  to  those  who  have  had,  it  may  be,  feeling 
tokens  of  the  love  of  Christ  in  the  conversion  of  the  soul,  in  drawing  it 
off  from  earthly  things  to  Himself,  there  cannot  but  be  always  some- 
thing very  moving  in  the  recollections  of  it  ever  afterwards,  when 
looked  back  upon  in  hours  of  affliction  after  many  years.  It  is  this 
which  God  appeals  to  in  Scripture,  of  the  sweetness  and  strength  of 
first  love : I remember  thee,  the  kindness  of  thy  youth,  the  love  of 
thine  espousals. 

As  the  dews  and  fragrance  of  morning;  as  the  sunshine  and  showers 
of  spring ; as  the  smiles  and  tears  of  an  infant ; as  the  sad  or  sweet 
dreams  of  childhood,  so  the  sorrows  and  consolations  of  that  first 
awakening  to  God’s  truth  may  ever  be  in  remembrance  upon  the  soul, 
when,  it  may  be,  amongst  bitter  sorrows  and  despondency  we  beheld 
the  gracious  look  of  Christ’s  countenance  upon  ourselves,  pleading  with 
us  and  calling  us  back  unto  Himself,  when  we  were  entangled  as  the 
lost  sheep  among  thorns,  when  He  extricated  us  from  them,  from  the 
effects  of  which  He  Himself  and  we  also  with  Him  are  bleeding. 


LEAH  AND  RACHEL. 


27 


Such  is  the  first  love  of  Rachel,  through  the  heat  of  the  day  to  the  end. 
c Tell  me,  0 thou  whom  my  soul  loveth,  where  thou  feedest,  where  thou 
makest  thy  flock  to  rest  at  noon ; for  why  should  I be  as  one  that 
turneth  aside  ? ’ In  the  approaches  of  death  it  is  as  the  evening  sun 
coming  forth  on  the  eastern  hills  from  whence  first  it  arose. 

Such,  then,  is  that  lesson  which,  as  a type,  this  history  contains ; 
both  may  be  found  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  as  serving  one  Lord,  and 
united  to  one  Lord;  Leah  is  of  Christian  righteousness;  Rachel,  of 
Christian  wisdom ; Leah  sets  forth  the  practical  life ; Rachel,  that  of 
devotion ; Leah,  whose  very  name  signifies  labour,  is  expressive  of  this 
temporal  life  in  which  we  toil;  Rachel,  of  that  eternal  life  to  which, 
through  these  toils,  we  aspire.  This  life  of  labour  we  choose  not  for 
its  own  sake,  but  for  that  which  comes  after. 

Leah  is  of  the  law  wherein  there  are  many  commandments,  but  one 
with  promise;  Rachel,  of  the  Gospel  where  every  commandment  is 
with  a blessing ; Leah  is  of  godly  fear,  which  comes  first ; Rachel,  of 
godly  love,  which  comes  afterwards;  in  Leah  is  felt  the  spirit  of 
bondage ; in  Rachel,  that  of  adoption ; when  Israel  served  for  Rachel 
his  bondage  became  glad  filial  service. 

Leah  hath  tender  eyes,  she  sees  not  afar  off,  her  eyes  are  dimmed 
with  present  sorrow".  For  the  thoughts  of  mortal  men  are  miserable, 
and  our  devices  uncertain.  But  Rachel  is  fair  and  bright  with  that 
illumination  which  is  from  God.  Thine  eyes  shall  see  the  King  in  ITis 
beauty ; they  shall  behold  the  land  that  is  very  far  off.  Wisdom  is 
more  beautiful  than  the  sun,  and  above  all  the  order  of  stars;  being 
compared  with  light  she  is  found  before  it.  Yet  the  former  is  more 
fruitful,  for  the  works  of  patient  endurance  bring  many  souls  unto 
Christ,  while  contemplation  alone  is  comparatively  barren,  till  by 
prayers  to  God  she  at  length  obtaineth  increase,  and  in  death  is 
fruitful,  and  after  death  remembered. 


Isaac  Williams. 


28 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


PHARAOH’S  DAUGHTER. 


AS  it  no  more  than  an  admiration  of  the  child’s  beauty,  which 
pleaded  with  Moses’  parents  for  his  life  P It  is  certain  that 
natural  affection  might  have  carried  them  much  farther  than 
this.  But  we  are  acquainted  with  their  real  motive  by  an  infallible 
interpreter.  They  acted  by  faith.  Committing  it  to  the  care  of  God, 
and  in  a cheerful  expectation  of  His  gracious  interposition,  they 
resolved  to  hide  it,  whatever  risk  they  might  run ; and  they  were  not 
afraid  of  the  king’s  commandment. 

After  three  months,  however,  the  concealment  of  their  son  was 
discovered ; and  probably  apprehending  that  he  might  be  forcibly 
dragged  from  them  by  the  murderous  hands  of  an  executioner,  they 
were  driven  to  the  very  painful  necessity  of  exposing  him  on  the 
waters. 

On  what  a precarious  issue  did  the  hope  of  Israel  then  appear  to 
rest ! But  the  matter  was  in  God’s  hands  ■ and  with  Him  there  can  be 
no  such  thing  as  chance  or  uncertainty.  He  who  is  the  protector  of 
His  people  had  contrived  the  way  of  safety ; a way  which  no  human 
sagacity  could  have  planned,  or  brought  into  effect.  Just  at  the  proper 
moment  He  directed  the  steps  of  Pharaoh’s  daughter  to  the  place  where 
the  infant  was  exposed.  The  little  basket  was  discovered  and  taken 
out  of  the  water ; the  babe  wept ; at  the  sight  of  which  the  princess, 
touched  with  compassion,  instantly  formed  the  determination  to 
preserve  and  educate  the  child  as  her  own.  By  the  interposition  of 
the  sister  who  stood  by  to  tend  the  important  charge,  it  was  again 
committed  to  the  care  of  its  mother,  who  was  then  appointed  to  nurse 


pharaoh’s  daughter. 


29 


it,  not  as  a poor  Hebrew  doomed  to  slavery,  but  as  an  Egyptian  prince. 
In  process  of  time,  be  appeared  at  court  as  tbe  adopted  son  of  the 
king’s  daughter,  and  received  an  education  suitable  to  this  elevated 
rank. 

Here  is  a wonderful  chain  of  events,  all  leading  to  one  grand  object, 
and  all  of  them  such  as  seemed  most  unlikely  to  happen ; and  yet  they 
were  brought  about  by  means  which  would  commonly  be  called 
accidental.  It  was  the  Divine  purpose  to  exalt  Moses,  in  order  to 
qualify  him  for  the  high  office  of  the  leader  and  commander  of  Israel. 
But  the  situation  of  that  oppressed  people,  and  the  cruel  edict  of 
Pharaoh,  were  great  obstacles  to  this  intended  promotion  : humanly 
speaking,  the  thing  was  impossible.  Who  could  have  supposed  that 
the  princess  of  the  land  would  be  the  instrument  of  preserving  and 
advancing  Moses,  of  defeating  her  father’s  design,  and  finally  of 
rescuing  the  Israelites  from  their  bondage  ? And  yet  no  other  person, 
probably,  would  have  dared  to  save  a life  condemned  by  the  sovereign, 
or  could  have  effected  the  plan.  Do  we  not  see  the  hand  of  God,  then, 
conducting  her  to  the  river’s  side,  to  the  very  spot,  at  the  proper, 
the  necessary  moment  P Shall  we  not  allow,  that  the  thought  of 
adopting  the  child  was  by  Him  impressed  upon  her  mind,  and  there- 
fore that  she  persisted  in  it  against  many  difficulties,  which  could  not 
but  occur  to  her?  For  though  she  felt  compassion  for  the  perishing 
infant,  yet  when  its  mean  original  was  considered,  it  must  appear  an 
unsuitable  object  for  her  notice;  it  was  the  offspring  of  strangers  who 
had  no  claim  to  her  protection,  who  were  become  offensive  to  the  whole 
nation,  and  were  suspected  to  be  dangerous  to  the  government ; and  as 
it  was  already  sentenced  to  die  by  the  express  injunction  of  her  father, 
she  might  seem  to  be  acting  a traitorous  part  in  attempting  its 
preservation.  But  under  the  Divine  influence  all  objections  vanished, 
and  the  way  was  easy, 


Thomas  Robinson. 


30 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


MIRIAM. 

HE  Israelites  are  stayed  seven  days  in  the  station  of  Hazeroth 
for  the  punishment  of  Miriam.  The  sins  of  the  governors 
are  a just  stop  to  the  people  ; all  of  them  smart  in  one  ; 
all  must  stay  the  leisure  of  Miriam’s  recovery.  Whosoever  seeks 
the  Land  of  Promise  shall  find  many  lets  : Amalek,  Og,  Sihon,  and 
the  kings  of  Canaan  meet  with  Israel : these  resisted,  hut  hindered 
not  their  passage  ; their  sins  only  stay  them  from  removing.  Afflictions 
are  not  crosses  to  us  in  the  way  to  heaven,  in  comparison  to  our  sins. 

What  is  this  I see?  Is  not  this  Aaron,  that  was  brother  in 
nature,  and  by  office  joint  commissioner  with  Moses?  Is  not  this 
Aaron,  that  made  his  brother  an  intercessor  for  him  to  God,  in  the 
case  of  his  idolatry  ? Is  not  this  Aaron,  that  climbed  up  the  hill 
of  Sinai  with  Moses  ? Is  not  this  Aaron,  whom  the  mouth  and  hand 
of  Moses  consecrated  a high-priest  unto  God  ? Is  not  this  Miriam, 
the  elder  sister  of  Moses  ? Is  not  this  Miriam,  that  led  the  triumph 
of  the  women,  and  sung  gloriously  to  the  Lord  ? Is  not  this  Miriam, 
which  laid  her  brother  Moses  in  the  reeds,  and  fetched  her  mother 
to  be  his  nurse  ? Both  prophets  of  God ; both  the  flesh  and  blood 
of  Moses  : and  doth  this  Aaron  repine  at  the  honour  of  him  which 
gave  himself  that  honour  and  saved  his  life  ? Doth  this  Miriam 
repine  at  the  prosperity  of  him  whose  life  she  saved  ? Who  would 
not  have  thought  this  should  have  been  their  glory,  to  have  seen 
the  glory  of  their  own  brother  ? What  could  have  been  a greater 
comfort  to  Miriam  than  to  think,  How  happily  doth  he  now  sit 
at  the  stern  of  Israel,  whom  I saved  from  perishing  in  a boat  of 
bulrushes ! It  is  to  me  that  Israel  owes  this  commander.  But  now 
envy  hath  so  blinded  their  eyes,  that  they  can  neither  see  this  privilege 
of  nature,  nor  the  honour  of  God’s  choice.  Miriam  and  Aaron  are 


MIRIAM. 


31 


in  mutiny  against  Moses.  Who  is  so  holy  that  sins  not  P What 
sin  is  so  unnatural,  that  the  best  can  avoid,  without  God  ? 

The  Midianitish  wife  of  Moses  cost  him  dear.  Before,  she  hazarded 
his  life ; now,  the  favour  of  his  people  : unequal  matches  are  seldom 
prosperous.  Although  now  this  scandal  was  only  taken,  envy  was 
not  wise  enough  to  choose  a ground  of  the  quarrel.  Whether  some 
secret  and  emulatory  brawls  passed  between  Zipporah  and  Miriam 
(as  many  times  these  sparks  of  private  brawls  grow  into  a perilous 
and  common  flame),  or  whether,  now  that  Jethro  and  his  family 
were  joined  with  Israel,  there  were  surmises  of  transporting  the 
government  to  strangers ; or  whether  this  unfit  choice  of  Moses  is 
now  raised  up  to  disparage  God’s  gifts  in  him  ; even  in  sight  the 
exceptions  were  frivolous.  Emulation  is  curious,  and  out  of  the  best 
person  or  act,  will  raise  something  to  cavil  at. 

Seditions  do  not  ever  look  the  same  way  they  move.  Wise  men 
can  easily  distinguish  betwixt  the  vizor  of  actions  and  the  face.  The 
wife  of  Moses  is  mentioned,  his  superiority  is  shot  at.  Pride  is  lightly 
the  ground  of  all  sedition.  Which  of  their  faces  shined  like  Moses  ? 
Yea,  let  him  but  have  drawn  his  vail,  which  of  them  durst  look  on 
his  face  ? Which  of  them  had  fasted  twice  forty  days  ? Which  of 
them  had  ascended  up  to  the  top  of  Sinai,  and  was  hid  with  smoke 
and  fire  ? Which  of  them  received  the  law  twice  in  two  several 
tables,  from  God’s  own  hand?  and  yet  they  dare  say,  Hath  God 
spoken  only  by  Moses  ? They  do  not  deny  Moses’s  honour,  but  they 
challenge  a part  with  him ; and  as  they  were  the  elder  in  nature, 
so  they  would  be  equal  in  dignity,  equal  in  administration.  According 
to  her  name  Miriam  would  he  exalted.  And  yet  how  unfit  were 
they  ! one  a woman,  whom  her  sex  debarred  from  rule ; the  other 
a priest,  whom  his  office  sequestered  from  earthly  government.  Self- 
love  makes  men  unreasonable,  and  teaches  them  to  turn  the  glass, 
to  see  themselves  bigger,  others  less  than  they  are.  It  is  a hard 
thing  for  a man  willingly  and  gladly  to  see  his  equals  lifted  over 
his  head  in  worth  and  opinion. 


32 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


Without  any  delation  of  Moses,  God  hears  and  challenges  them. 
Because  he  was  meek,  therefore  he  complained  not,  therefore  the 
Lord  struck  in  for  him  the  more.  The  less  a man  strives  for  himself, 
the  more  is  God  his  champion.  It  is  the  honour  of  great  persons 
to  undertake  the  patronage  of  their  clients  : how  much  more  will  God 
revenge  His  elect,  which  cry  to  Him  day  and  night  ! He  that  said, 
I seek  not  mine  own  glory,  adds,  But  there  is  one  that  seeks  it, 
and  judges.  God  takes  his  part  ever,  that  fights  not  for  himself. 

God  might  have  spoken  so  loud,  that  heaven  and  earth  should 
have  heard  it,  so  as  they  should  not  have  needed  to  come  forth  for 
audience  ; hut  now  He  calls  them  out  to  the  bar,  that  they  may  he 
seen  to  hear.  It  did  not  content  Him  to  chide  them  within  doors  : 
the  shame  of  their  fault  had  been  less  in  a private  rebuke  ; hut  the 
scandal  of  their  repining  was  public.  Where  the  sin  is  not  afraid 
of  the  light,  God  loves  not  the  reproof  should  be  smothered. 

They  had  depressed  Moses,  God  advances  him  : they  had  equalled 
themselves  to  Moses,  God  prefers  him  to  them.  Their  plea  was, 
that  God  had  spoken  by  them,  as  well  as  by  Moses ; God’s  reply  is, 
that  He  hath  in  a more  entire  fashion  spoken  to  Moses  than  to 
them.  God  spake  to  the  best  of  them,  but  either  in  their  dream, 
sleeping,  or  in  vision,  waking  ; but  to  Moses  He  spake  with  more 
inward  illumination,  with  more  lively  representation : to  others,  as 
a stranger ; to  Moses,  as  a friend.  God  had  never  so  much  magnified 
Moses  to  them,  hut  for  their  envy.  We  cannot  devise  to  pleasure 
God’s  servants  so  much  as  by  despiting  them. 

God  was  angry  when  He  chid  them,  but  more  angry  when  He 
departed.  The  withdrawing  of  His  presence  is  the  presence  of  His 
wrath.  Whilst  He  stays  to  reprove,  there  is  favour  in  His  displeasure ; 
but  when  He  leaves  either  man  or  church,  there  is  no  hope  but  of 
vengeance.  The  final  absence  of  God  is  hell  itself.  When  He 
forsakes  us,  though  for  a time,  it  is  an  introduction  to  His  utmost 
judgment.  It  was  time  to  look  for  a judgment  when  God  departed  : 
so  soon  as  He  is  gone  from  the  eyes  of  Miriam,  the  leprosy  appears  in 


MIRIAM. 


33 


her  face  : her  foul  tongue  is  punished  with  a foul  face.  Since  she 
would  acknowledge  no  difference  betwixt  herself  and  her  brother  Moses, 
every  Israelite  now  sees  his  face  glorious,  hers  leprous.  Deformity 
is  a fit  cure  of  pride.  Because  the  venom  of  her  tongue  would  have 
eaten  into  the  reputation  of  her  brother,  therefore  a poisonous  infection 
eats  into  her  flesh.  Now  both  Moses  and  Miriam  need  to  wear  a vail, 
the  one  to  hide  his  glory,  the  other  her  deformity.  That  Midianite, 
Zipporah,  whom  she  scorned,  was  beautiful  in  respect  of  her. 

Miriam  would  have  wounded  Moses  with  her  tongue,  Moses  would 
heal  her  with  his  : ‘ 0 Lord,  heal  her  now.’  The  wrong  is  the  greater 
because  his  sister  did  it.  He  doth  not  say,  I sought  not  her  shame, 
she  sought  mine ; if  God  have  revenged  it,  I have  no  reason  to  look 
on  her  as  a sister,  who  looked  at  me  as  an  adversary : but,  as  if  her 
leprosy  were  his,  he  cries  out  for  her  cure.  O admirable  meekness  of 
Moses!  His  people  the  Jews  rebelled  against  him;  God  proffers 
revenge  : he  would  rather  die  than  they  should  perish.  His  sister 
rebelled  against  him ; God  works  His  revenge  : he  will  not  give  God 
peace  till  she  be  recured.  Behold  a worthy  and  noble  pattern  for 
us  to  follow.  How  far  are  they  from  this  disposition,  who  are  not 
only  content  God  should  revenge,  but  are  ready  to  prevent  God’s 
revenge  with  their  own ! 

God’s  love  to  Moses  suffers  him  not  to  obtain  presently  his  suit 
for  Miriam;  his  good  nature  to  his  sister  made  him  pray  against 
himself.  If  the  judgment  had  been  at  once  inflicted  and  removed, 
there  had  been  no  example  of  terror  for  others  : God  either  denies 
or  defers  the  grant  of  our  requests  for  our  good : it  were  wide  for  us 
if  our  suits  should  be  ever  heard.  It  was  fit  for  all  parts,  Miriam 
should  continue  some  while  leprous.  There  is  no  policy  in  a sudden 
removal  of  just  punishment ; unless  the  rain  so  fall  that  it  lie  and 
soak  into  the  earth,  it  profits  nothing.  If  the  judgments  of  God 
should  be  only  as  passengers,  and  not  sojourners  at  least,  they  would  be 
no  whit  regarded. 

Bishop  Hall. 

F 


34 


THE  WOMEN  OE  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT, 


RAHAJB. 

AS  Rahatfs  treachery  to  her  country  excusable  P Could  her 
lie  be  free  from  fault  ? 

We  know  that  the  love  of  our  country,  which  is,  as  it 
were,  our  common  mother,  has  been  implanted  in  us  by  nature.  When, 
therefore,  Rahab  knew  that  the  object  intended  was  the  overthrow  of 
the  city  in  which  she  had  been  born  and  brought  up,  it  seems  a detest- 
able act  of  inhumanity  to  give  her  aid  and  counsel  to  the  spies.  It  is 
a puerile  evasion  to  say  that  they  were  not  yet  avowed  enemies, 
inasmuch  as  war  had  not  been  declared ; since  it  is  plain  enough  that 
they  had  conspired  the  destruction  of  her  fellow -citizens.  It  was, 
therefore,  only  the  knowledge  communicated  to  her  mind  by  God  which 
exempted  her  from  fault,  as  having  been  set  free  from  the  common 
rule.  Her  faith  is  commended  by  two  Apostles,  who  at  the  same  time 
declare  that  the  service  which  she  rendered  to  the  spies  was  acceptable 
to  God. 

It  is  not  wonderful,  then,  that  when  the  Lord  condescended  to 
transfer  a foreign  female  to  His  people,  and  to  engraft  her  into  the 
body  of  the  Church,  He  separated  her  from  a profane  and  accursed 
nation.  Therefore,  although  she  had  been  bound  to  her  countrymen 
up  to  that  very  day,  yet  when  she  was  adopted  into  the  body  of  the 
Church  her  new  condition  was  a kind  of  manumission  from  the  common 
law  by  which  citizens  are  hound  toward  each  other.  In  short,  in  order 
to  pass  by  faith  to  a new  people,  it  behoved  her  to  renounce  her 
countrymen.  And  as  in  this  she  only  acquiesced  in  the  judgment  of 
God,  there  was  no  criminality  in  abandoning  them. 


RAHAB. 


35 


As  to  the  falsehood,  we  must  admit  that  though  it  was  done  for  a 
good  purpose,  it  was  not  free  from  fault.  For  those  who  hold  what  is 
called  a dutiful  lie  to  be  altogether  excusable,  do  not  sufficiently 
consider  how  precious  truth  is  in  the  sight  of  God.  Therefore, 
although  our  purpose  be  to  assist  our  brethren,  to  consult  for  their 
safety  and  relieve  them,  it  never  can  be  lawful  to  lie,  because  that 
cannot  be  right  which  is  contrary  to  the  nature  of  God.  And  God  is 
truth.  And  still  the  act  of  Fahab  is  not  devoid  of  the  praise  of  virtue, 
although  it  was  not  spotlessly  pure.  For  it  often  happens  that,  while 
the  saints  study  to  hold  the  right  path,  they  deviate  into  circuitous 
courses. 

The  image  of  Fahab’ s faith  appears,  as  if  reflected  in  a mirror, 
when  casting  down  all  idols,  she  ascribes  the  government  of  heaven 
and  earth  to  the  God  of  Israel  alone.  It  is  not  without  cause  that 
two  Apostles  have  honoured  her  conduct  with  the  title  of  faith.  Still, 
I deny  not  that  her  faith  was  not  fully  developed;  nay,  I readily 
admit  that  it  was  only  a germ  of  piety  which,  as  yet,  would  have 
been  insufficient  for  her  eternal  salvation.  We  must  hold,  never- 
theless, that  however  feeble  and  slender  the  knowledge  of  God  which 
the  woman  possessed  may  have  been,  still,  in  surrendering  herself  to 
his  power,  she  gives  a proof  of  her  election,  and  that  from  that  seed  a 
faith  was  germinating,  which  afterwards  attained  its  full  growth. 

In  the  language  of  Fahab,  we  behold  that  characteristic  property 
of  faith  described  by  the  author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  when 
he  calls  it  a vision,  or  sight  of  things  not  appearing.  Fahab  is 
dwelling  with  her  people  in  a fortified  city : and  yet  she  commits  her 
life  to  her  terrified  guests,  just  as  if  they  had  already  gained  possession 
of  the  land,  and  had  full  power  to  save  or  destroy  as  they  pleased. 

John  Calvin. 


THE  WOMEN  OE  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


THE  DEATH  OF  SISEBA. 


RTH  looked  the  mother  from  her  lattice  high, 
To  Judah’s  valleys  turned  her  proud  dark  eye 
‘ Why  do  his  chariot- wheels  delay  so  long  ? 


Why  tarries  thus  the  valiant  and  the  strong  P 

Have  they  not  sped  ? have  they  not  won  the  day  ? 
To  every  man  hath  been  a glorious  prey ; 

The  gorgeous  work  by  Syrian  maidens  planned, 
And  fair  young  slaves  the  brightest  in  the  land; 

Sure  he  will  deck  his  loved  ones  with  the  spoil.’ 

In  vain  she  looketh  toward  that  favoured  soil, 

With  shout  and  song,  in  peace  returning  home, 

He  cometh  not;  nor  e’er  again  shall  come. 

Far,  far  away,  within  the  Kenite’s  tent, 

His  brow  is  pierced,  his  stately  head  is  bent ; 
Where  Kishon’s  ancient  waters  hurry  by, 

On  Taanach’s  plains,  his  trampled  warriors  lie; 

For  Israel’s  God  hath  led  the  glorious  fight, 
Abinoam’s  son  has  conquered  in  His  might, 

And  she,  who  sat  by  Bethel’s  judgment  tree, 

Has  risen  to  chant  the  song  of  victory. 


THE  DEATH  OF  SISEBA. 


37 


One  woman,  dwelling  in  her  tent  alone, 

In  the  Lord’s  name  has  slain  the  mighty  one ; 

She  heard  the  cry  of  battle  on  the  blast, 

She  stayed  the  flying  chieftain  as  he  past. 

Then  say  not,  here  on  earth  are  feeble  things 
Too  weak  and  mean  to  serve  the  King  of  kings ; 

The  shallow  stream,  scarce  noticed  in  its  course, 

Feeds  the  broad  lake,  and  swells  the  torrent’s  force. 

Prayers  of  the  poor  and  lowly,  heard  above, 

Hang,  like  a charm,  around  the  Church  we  love; 

And  sighs  prevail,  and  simple  words  have  power, 

More  than  we  think,  when  foes  like  tempests  lower. 

The  lowliest  child  that  holy  Church  within, 

Hath  his  own  work  to  do,  his  fight  to  win, 

To  watch,  to  pray,  to  keep  his  own  young  heart ; 

God  giveth  strength  for  each  appointed  part. 

C.  F.  Alexander. 


38 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


JAEL. 

HEN  we  read  the  words,  ‘ Blessed  above  women  shall  J ael  the 
wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite  be,  blessed  shall  she  be  above 
women  in  the  tent,’  we  have  no  need,  as  far  as  the  satis- 
faction of  onr  own  conscience  goes,  to  make  any  inquiry  whether  these 
words  were  spoken  by  inspiration  or  not ; whether  Deborah  and  Barak, 
in  uttering  this  song,  spake  as  the  prophet  and  prophetess  of  God,  or 
as  the  victorious  and  rejoicing  leaders  of  a people  whom  they  had  just 
rescued  from  slavery.  So  far  as  our  conduct  is  concerned,  this  inquiry 
is  wholly  superfluous.  If  she  whom  they  blessed  was  blessed  then  in 
truth,  yet  we  know,  with  perfect  assurance,  that  whosoever  of  us  were 
now  to  do  likewise  would  not  be  blessed  but  cursed.  There  is  absolutely 
nothing  in  the  tone  and  feeling  of  this  song  of  Deborah  and  Barak 
with  reference  to  their  triumph  over  the  Canaanites,  which  we  ought, 
nay,  which  we  might  dare  to  imitate.  Thus  much  is  plain,  without  a 
moment’s  hesitation,  that  the  history  contains  in  these  points  no  direct 
instruction  in  righteousness. 

Yet  this  blessing  pronounced  on  Jael,  when  taken  in  its  true  spirit, 
is  in  perfect  accordance  with  God’s  universal  dealings  with  mankind. 
I would  not  blame  those  who,  as  a matter  of  criticism,  were  to  contend 
that  we  have  no  grounds  whatever  for  supposing  the  song  of  Deborah 
and  Barak  to  be  recorded  as  an  inspired  hymn  ; that  is  a question  not 
to  be  answered  in  the  foolish  and  hasty  way  in  which  some  persons  are 
apt  to  settle  it ; but  on  which  this  is  not  the  place  to  enter.  But  be 
this  as  it  may,  we  need  not  lose  the  benefit  of  the  words  ; they  may  be 


JAEL. 


39 


true,  though  not  inspired.  Their  spirit  is,  that  God  does  allow  largely 
for  ignorance  where  He  finds  sincerity;  that  they  who  serve  Him 
honestly  up  to  the  measure  of  their  knowledge,  are,  according  to  the 
general  course  of  His  providence,  encouraged  and  blessed ; that  they 
whose  eyes  and  hearts  are  still  fixed  upwrards,  on  duty  not  on  self, 
are  precisely  that  smoking  flax  which  He  will  not  quench,  but  cherish 
rather  till  the  smoke  be  blown  into  a flame. 

So  it  was  with  Christ’s  own  Apostles.  Amidst  how  much  of  ignor- 
ance, how  much,  according  to  His  own  very  words,  of  incapability  to 
receive  His  full  truth,  did  He  yet  receive  them  into  communion  with 
Him,  and  give  them  the  blessed  name  of  His  friends,  and  pronounce 
them,  with  one  exception,  to  be  all  clean.  And  turn  to  a later  period, 
to  some  of  those  scenes  in  the  Christian  Church  which  most  resemble 
the  case  of  Jael ; to  some  of  those  stories  of  persecution,  where  good 
men,  alas,  the  while  for  human  nature ! were  both  the  victims  and  the 
executioners.  When  we  read  some  of  those  sad  yet  glorious  martyr- 
doms, amidst  all  our  unmixed  admiration  for  the  sufferers,  may  we  not, 
in  some  instances,  hope  and  believe  that  the  persecutors  were  moved 
with  a most  earnest,  though  an  ignorant  zeal,  and  that,  like  Jael,  they 
sought  really  to  please  God,  although,  like  her,  they  essayed  to  do  it  by 
means  which  Christ’s  spirit  condemns  P 

If  this  be  not  so,  what  shall  we  say  of  two  of  the  purest  and 
brightest  names  of  their  day,  of  Calvin  and  of  Cranmer  ? Can  we 
doubt  that  it  was  a sincere,  though  ignorant  zeal  for  God’s  glory,  Avhich 
led  Cranmer  in  particular — a man  constitutionally  the  very  reverse  of 
hard  or  cruel — to  urge  the  young  King  Edward  VI.,  in  spite  of  all  his 
reluctance,  to  condemn  a heretic  to  the  flames  ? And  what  if  it  be 
said,  as  is  most  true,  that  there  is  a great  deal  of  ignorance  which  is 
not  excusable  but  sinful ; that  men  can  and  do  often  deceive  themselves 
and  fancy  that  they  are  serving  God,  while  they  are  really  serving 
their  own  evil  passions.  All  this,  indeed,  is  most  important  to  us  in 
judging  of  ourselves,  in  leading  us  for  ever  to  suspect  our  own  hearts, 
lest  they  call  that  ignorance  or  honest  error,  which  is  in  reality  false- 


40 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


hood  and  sin ; but  yet  it  does  not  interfere  with  that  other  truth,  which 
is  very  useful  towards  softening  our  judgments  of  others,  that  if  there 
be  a sinful  ignorance  there  is  an  innocent  ignorance  also  ; that  Gfod  the 
Judge  of  all  will  infallibly  decide  which  is  the  one  and  which  the 
other ; but  that  if  it  be  innocent  ignorance,  there  the  sincere  faith  and 
desire  to  please  Gfod  shall  be  blessed,  notwithstanding  its  lack  of 
knowledge. 

And  for  ourselves,  how  great  is  the  lesson  here  given  us  of  the 
necessity  of  a sincere  obedience.  For  if  the  single-minded  man  be 
accepted,  even  amid  much  moral  ignorance,  what  becomes  of  those  who 
are  double-minded  amidst  abundant  knowledge  ? What  will  be  said 
of  us,  if  being  taught  all  divine  truth,  if  being  able  to  see,  which  she 
could  not  see,  that  J ael’s  act  was  evil,  we  have  yet  nothing  of  her  zeal, 
which,  if  joined  with  our  knowledge,  would  burn  indeed  with  a 
heavenly  flame  ? What  inheritance  can  we  expect  in  her  blessing,  who, 
without  any  of  her  excuses  for  evil,  are  full  of  evil ; who  with  far  more 
than  her  reasons  for  serving  and  loving  God,  will  yet  neither  serve 
Him  nor  love  Him  P 


Thomas  Arnold. 


41 


DEBORAH. 


T is  no  Wonder  if  they*  who,  ere  fourscore  days  after  the  law 
delivered,  fell  to  idolatry  alone,  now,  after  fourscore  years 
since  the  law  restored,  fell  to  idolatry  among  the  Canaanitesi 
Peace  could  in  a shorter  time  work  looseness  in  any  people : and  if 
forty  years  after  Othniel’s  deliverance,  they  relapsed,  what  marvel  is 
it,  that,  in  twice  forty  after  Ehud,  they  thus  miscarried  P What  are 
they  the  better  to  have  killed  Eglon,  the  king  of  Moab,  if  the  idolatry 
of  Moab  have  killed  them  ? The  sin  of  Moab  shall  be  found  a worse 
tyrant  than  their  Eglon.  Israel  is  for  every  market ; they  sold  them- 
selves to  idolatry,  God  sells  them  to  the  Canaanites : it  is  no  marvel 
they  are  slaves,  if  they  will  be  idolaters : after  their  longest  inter 
mission,  they  have  now  the  sorest  bondage  : none  of  their  tyrants  were 
so  potent  as  Jabin,  with  his  nine  hundred  chariots  of  iron : the  longer 
the  reckoning  is  deferred,  the  greater  is  the  sum.  God  provides  on 
purpose  mighty  adversaries  for  His  church,  that  their  humiliation 
may  he  the  greater  in  sustaining,  and  His  glory  may  be  greater  in 
deliverance. 

I do  not  find  any  prophet  in  Israel  during  their  sin ; but  so  soon  as 
I hear  news  of  their  repentance,  mention  is  made  of  a prophetess  and 
judge  of  Israel.  There  is  no  better  sign  of  God’s  reconciliation,  than 
the  sending  of  His  holy  messengers  to  any  people : He  is  not  utterly 
fallen  out  with  those  whom  He  blesses  with  prophecy.  Whom  yet  do 
I see  raised  to  this  honour  ? Not  any  of  the  princes  of  Israel ; not 
Parak  the  captain ; not  Lapidoth  the  husband  ; but  a woman,  for  the 

G 


42 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


honour  of  her  sex ; a wife  for  the  honour  of  wedlock ; Deborah,  the 
wife  of  Lapidoth. 

He  that  had  choice  of  all  the  millions  of  Israel,  calls  out  two  weak 
women  to  deliver  His  people  ; Deborah  shall  judge,  Jael  shall  execute  : 
all  the  palaces  of  Israel  must  yield  to  the  palm-tree  of  Deborah : the 
weakness  of  the  instrument  redounds  to  the  greater  honour  of  the 
workman.  Who  shall  ask  God  any  reason  of  His  elections,  but  his 
own  pleasure  ? Deborah  was  to  sentence,  not  to  strike ; to  command, 
not  to  execute.  This  act  is  masculine,  fit  for  some  captain  of  Israel : 
she  was  the  head  of  Israel;  it  was  meet  some  other  should  be  the 
hand : it  is  an  imperfect  and  titular  government,  where  there  is  a 
commanding  power,  without  correction,  without  execution.  The 
message  of  Deborah  finds  out  Barak,  the  son  of  Abinoam,  in  his 
obscure  secresy,  and  calls  him  from  a corner  of  Kaphtali  to  the  honour 
of  this  exploit : he  is  sent  for,  not  to  get  the  victory,  but  to  take  it ; 
not  to  overcome,  but  to  kill ; to  pursue,  and  not  to  beat  Sisera.  Who 
could  not  have  done  this  work,  whereto  not  much  courage,  no  skill 
belonged  ? Yet,  even  for  this,  will  God  have  an  instrument  of  His  own 
choice.  It  is  most  fit  that  God  should  serve  Himself  where  He  list,  of 
His  own  ; neither  is  it  to  be  enquired,  whom  we  think  meet  for  any 
employment,  but  whom  God  hath  called. 

Deborah  had  been  no  prophetess,  if  she  durst  have  sent  in  her  own 
name : her  message  is  from  Him  that  sent  herself,  ‘ Hath  not  the 
Lord  God  of  Israel  commanded  ?’  Barak’s  answer  is  faithful,  though 
conditional ; and  doth  not  so  much  intend  a refusal  to  go  without  her,  as 
a necessary  bond  of  her  presence  with  him.  Who  can  blame  him  that 
he  would  have  a prophetess  in  his  company  ? If  the  man  had  not  been 
holy  as  valiant,  he  would  not  have  wished  such  society.  How  many 
think  it  a perpetual  bondage  to  have  a prophet  of  God  at  their  elbow  ! 
God  had  never  sent  for  him  so  far,  if  he  could  have  been  content  to  go 
up  without  Deborah  ; he  knew  that  there  was  both  a blessing  and 
encouragement  in  that  presence.  It  is  no  putting  any  trust  in  the 
success  of  those  men  that  neglect  the  messengers  of  God. 


DEBORAH. 


43 


To  prescribe  that  to  others,  which  we  draw  back  from  doing  our- 
selves, is  an  argument  of  hollowness  and  falsity.  Barak  shall  see,  that 
Deborah  doth  not  offer  him  that  cup  whereof  she  dare  not  begin : 
without  regard  of  her  sex,  she  marches  with  him  to  Mount  Tabor,  and 
rejoices  to  be  seen  of  the  ten  thousand  of  Israel.  With  what  scorn  did 
Sisera  look  at  these  gleanings  of  Israel ! How  unequal  did  this  match 
seem,  of  ten  thousand  Israelites  against  his  three  hundred  thousand 
foot,  ten  thousand  horse,  nine  hundred  chariots  of  iron ! And  now,  in 
bravery,  he  calls  for  his  troops,  and  means  to  kill  this  handful  of  Israel 
with  the  very  sight  of  his  piked  chariots,  and  only  feared  it  would  be 
no  victory  to  cut  the  throats  of  so  few.  The  faith  of  Deborah  and 
Barak  was  not  appalled  with  this  world  of  adversaries,  which  from 
Mount  Tabor  they  saw  hiding  all  the  valley  below  them : they  knew 
whom  they  had  believed,  and  how  little  an  arm  of  flesh  could  do 
against  the  God  of  Hosts. 

Barak  went  down  against  Sisera,  but  it  was  God  that  destroyed 
him.  The  Israelites  did  not  this  day  wield  their  own  swords,  lest  they 
should  arrogate  any  thing  ; God  told  them  beforehand  it  should  be  His 
own  act.  I hear  not  of  one  stroke  that  any  Canaanite  gave  in  this 
fight,  as  if  they  were  called  hither  only  to  suffer.  And  now  proud 
Sisera,  after  many  curses  of  the  heaviness  of  that  iron  carriage,  is  glad 
to  quit  his  chariot,  and  betake  himself  to  his  heels.  Who  ever  yet 
knew  any  earthly  thing  trusted  in  without  disappointment  P It  is 
wonder,  if  God  make  us  not  at  last  weary  of  whatsoever  hath  stolen  our 
hearts  from  Him,  as  ever  we  were  fond. 


Btshop  Hall. 


44 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


JEPHTHAH’S  DAUGHTER, 

TNCE  our  country,  our  God— oh,  my  sire  ! 
Demand  that  thy  daughter  expire ; 

Since  thy  triumph  was  bought  by  thy  vow  — 
Strike  the  bosom  that’s  bared  for  thee  now! 

And  the  voice  of  my  mourning  is  o’er, 

And  the  mountains  behold  me  no  more ; 

If  the  hand  that  I love  lay  me  low, 

There  cannot  be  pain  in  the  blow  ! 

And  of  this,  oh,  my  father,  be  sure  — 

That  the  blood  of  thy  child  is  as  pure 
As  the  blessing  I beg  ere  it  flow, 

And  the  last  thought  that  soothes  me  below. 

Though  the  virgins  of  Salem  lament, 

Be  the  judge  and  the  hero  unbent ! 

I have  won  the  great  battle  for  thee, 

And  my  father  and  country  are  free  ! 

When  this  blood  of  thy  giving  hath  gushed, 

When  the  voice  that  thou  lovest  is  hushed, 

Let  my  memory  still  be  thy  pride, 

And  forget  not  I smiled  as  I died. 


Byron. 


45 


JEPHTHAH’S  VOW. 


HATSOEVER  cometh  forth,  of  the  doors  of  my  house  to  meet 
me,  when  I come  in  peace  from  the  children  of  Ammon, 
shall  surely  he  the  Lord’s,  and  I will  offer  it  up  for  a burnt- 
offering.  A rash  yow,  as  appears  by  his  repenting  and  rending  his 
garments  : a rash  vow,  that  he  could  not  come  off  with  either  breaking 
or  performing  it,  but  with  sin.  If  he  performed  it  not,  he  sinned 
in  making  a vow  that  he  might  not  perform  ; if  he  performed  it, 
he  sinned  in  performing  a vow  that  he  might  not  make.  He  is  caught 
under  a rash  and  sinful  vow,  as  a man  that  hath  a wolf  by  the  ears, 
that  whether  he  hold  him  or  let  him  go,  he  is  in  danger. 

It  is  past  all  doubting  that  when  he  saith,  Whatsoever  cometh 
out  to  meet  me,  he  meaneth  some  man,  or  woman,  or  child  of  his 
family.  And  child  he  had  none  but  only  this  one  daughter.  And 
it  is  very  like  he  little  thought  of  her  when  he  made  his  vow,  but 
some  of  his  men  or  maids.  And  whereas  our  English  hath  rendered 
it  favourably,  because  of  the  great  question  that  is  raised  upon  his 
vow,  Whatsoever  cometh  out,  the  Hebrew  original  will  most  properly 
bear  it,  He  that  cometh  forth. 

For  he  was  now  upon  an  extraordinary  and  very  great  design, 
namely,  to  go  and  fight  with  the  potent  army  of  the  Ammonites, 
his  forces  not  being  very  great.  And  therefore  it  is  very  likely  that 
he  makes  an  extraordinary  vow  to  his  extraordinary  design  he  was 
upon.  How  this  had  been  but  an  ordinary  and  common  business  to 
vow,  If  I return  from  the  children  of  Ammon  with  victory,  I will 
offer  the  first  lamb,  or  ram,  or  bullock,  I meet  withal  at  my  coming 
to  mine  own  house.  Had  this  been  any  great  vow  for  the  imploring 


46 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


his  prospering  in  the  great  undertaking  he  went  about  P But  to 
dedicate  a man  or  a woman  to  God  spoke  high,  and  something  like 
the  greatness  of  the  design. 

And  how  he  served  his  daughter,  when  she  came  first  to  meet 
him,  is  the  great  question  and  dispute.  Some,  tender  of  Jephthah’s 
credit,  and  reckoning  it  not  fit  to  lay  more  hard  things  on  him  than 
the  story  will  well  hear,  therefore  to  make  the  best  of  it  hold  that 
he  did  dedicate  to  God,  not  sacrifice  his  daughter ; he  devoted  her 
to  God  in  keeping  her  a recluse  and  nun,  and  never  to  be  married ; 
though  he  had  no  other  child,  and  so  his  family  was  like  to  fall.  But 
on  the  contrary, — 

First,  nunship  and  vow  of  virginity  by  the  Papists  indeed,  is 
pretended  to  be  a great  piece  of  devoting  and  consecrating  the  party 
to  God ; but  that  it  is  so,  never  was,  nor  ever  will  be  proved,  but 
only  pretended,  and  with  a loud  noise  cried  up,  as  they  did  in  the  great 
hubbub  at  Ephesus,  Great  is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians  ; when  none 
could  understand,  or  see  any  reason  for  such  a hubbub  and  outcry. 
Certainly  among  the  J ewish  nation  they  were  so  far  from  accounting 
the  vow  of  virginity  a piece  of  devotion  and  religion,  that  they 
accounted  it  a reproach  for  a woman  to  be  childless ; nay,  a reproach 
for  a woman  not  to  be  married.  And  not  only  a shame,  but  a sin 
and  a breach  of  God’s  command.  For  those  words,  Be  fruitful  and 
multiply,  they  account  not  only  a blessing,  but  a command. 

Secondly,  persons  dedicated  to  the  Lord  were  not  therefore  bound 
to  perpetual  virginity.  For  we  read  of  some  that  were  so  dedicated, 
that  yet  for  all  that  married.  As  Samson,  a dedicate  Nazarite,  yet 
took  him  a wife,  and  that  of  the  daughters  of  the  Philistines ; and 
Samuel,  dedicated  by  his  parents,  and  yet  afterwards  married  and  had 
children. 

But  if  that  were  not  the  intent  and  action  of  Jephthah’s  vow, 
what  did  he  to  his  daughter  P Did  he  really  sacrifice  her,  and  offer 
her  up  for  a burnt- offering  ? That  was  less  religion,  and  less  in 
custom  in  the  nation,  to  sacrifice  a person.  And  can  it  be  imagined 


jephthah’s  vow. 


47 


that  Jephthah,  whom  the  Apostle  reckons  among  the  faithful,  should 
do  such  a thing  ? 

I answer,  very  true.  But  may  we  not  think  him,  though  faithful, 
yet  for  the  present  that  he  might  fall  under  ignorance  and  a blind 
zeal  P It  is  indeed  something  hard  and  strange  to  think  so  uncharit- 
ably of  such  a one  as  he  was ; but  it  was  now  too  common  in  Israel 
to  worship  Molech  ; so  that  it  was  no  strange  thing  with  them  to  offer 
such  barbarous  and  bloody  sacrifices  as  their  own  children.  You 
may  guess  that  the  corruption  of  the  times  might  suggest  to  Jephthah 
the  fancy  of  offering  some  such  sacrifice  of  man  or  woman  to  God. 

It  had  been  the  part  of  the  priest,  and  of  the  great  council  of 
the  kingdom,  to  have  prevented  such  a fact  as  this.  The  priest’s  lips 
should  have  preserved  knowledge,  they  should  have  taught  him  better ; 
and  the  great  council  that  should  have  preserved  righteousness  and 
good  order,  should  have  taken  care  against  such  an  action.  But  the 
nation,  it  seems,  was  so  overgrown  with  ignorance  and  idolatry,  and 
particularly  with  the  serving  of  the  idol  Molech,  that  such  a thing 
as  this  proved  no  regret  at  all  to  them. 

The  poor  girl,  his  daughter,  begged  two  months’  respite,  that  she 
might  go  upon  the  mountains  and  bewail  her  virginity.  She  might 
have  hoped  that  in  all  that  time  some  rescue  might  have  come  to  her ; 
either  the  council  of  the  priests,  or  the  authority  of  the  state,  inter- 
posing with  her  father.  But  all  was  so  out  of  tune  and  overgrown 
with  idolatry  that  Jephthah,  who  was  too  much  led  away  with  the 
evil  example  of  the  times,  is  not  at  all  restrained,  but  rather  encouraged 
by  the  negligence  of  those  that  should  have  directed  and  ordered  better. 

And  to  one  that  doth  more  narrowly  search  into  the  Bible,  I may 
recommend  this  observation  to  his  examination  ; that  in  the  time  of 
the  Judges,  the  high-priesthood  was  lost  out  of  the  line  of  the  sons 
of  Eleazar  into  the  line  of  the  sons  of  Ithamar,  from  one  family  of 
Aaron’s  to  another.  And  whether  it  might  not  be  because  the  then 
high-priest  did  not  better  demean  himself  about  this  very  matter,  let 
him  seriously  consider.  John  Lightfoot. 


48 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


DELILAH, 


OLOMOIST  seems  to  refer  especially  to  the  story  of  Samson 
when  he  gives  this  account  of  the  strange  woman,  that  she 
hath  cast  down  many  wounded,  yea,  many  strong  men  have 
been  slain  by  her.  This  ill  woman  that  brought  Samson  to  ruin  is 
named  Delilah,  an  infamous  name*  and  fitly  used  to  express  the  person 
or  thing  that  by  flattery  or  falsehood  brings  mischief  and  destruction 
on  those  to  whom  kindness  is  pretended. 

See  the  affection  Samson  had  for  Delilah ; he  loved  her.  Some 
think  she  was  his  wife,  but  then  he  would  have  had  her  home  to  his 
own  house  ; others*  that  he  courted  her  to  make  her  his  wife  ; but  there 
is  too  much  reason  to  suspect  that  it  was  a sinful  affection  that  he  had 
for  her.  Whether  she  was  an  Israelite  or  a Philistine  is  not  certain  ; 
if  an  Israelite*  which  is  not  probable*  yet  she  had  the  heart  of  a 
Philistine. 

See  the  interest  which  the  lords  of  the  Philistines  made  with  her  to 
betray  Samson.  That  which  they  told  her  they  designed  was  to  humble 
him  or  afflict  him : they  would  promise  not  to  do  him  any  hurt,  only 
they  would  disable  him  to  do  them  any ; and  so  much  conscience,  it 
should  seem,  they  made  of  this  promise  that  even  then  when  he  lay 
never  so  much  at  their  mercy,  they  would  not  kill  him ; no,  not  when 
the  razor  that  cut  his  hair  might  sooner  and  easier  have  cut  his  throat. 
That  which  they  desired  in  order  hereunto  was  to  know  where  his  great 
strength  lay,  and  by  what  means  he  might  be  bound.  Perhaps  they 
imagined  he  had  some  spell  or  charm,  which  he  carried  about  with  him, 


DELILAH. 


49 


by  the  force  of  which  he  did  these  great  things,  and  doubted  not  but  if 
they  could  get  that  from  him  he  would  be  manageable  ; and,  therefore, 
having  had  reason  enough  formerly  to  know  which  was  his  blind  side, 
hoped  to  find  out  his  riddle  a second  time  by  ploughing  with  his  heifer : 
they  engaged  Delilah  to  get  it  out  of  him,  telling  her  what  a kindness 
it  would  be  to  them,  and  perhaps  assuring  her  it  should  not  be  improved 
to  any  real  mischief,  either  to  him  or  her. 

For  this  they  bid  high ; promised  to  give  her  each  of  them  eleven 
hundred  pieces  of  silver — fifty-five  hundred  in  all : so  many  shekels 
reckoned  to  above  one  thousand  pounds  sterling.  With  this  she  was 
hired  to  betray  one  she  pretended  to  love  ; see  what  horrid  wickedness 
the  love  of  money  is  the  root  of.  Our  blessed  Saviour  was  thus 
betrayed  by  one  whom  He  called  friend,  and  with  a kiss  too,  for 
filthy  lucre. 

What  care  Delilah  took  to  make  sure  the  money  for  herself.  She 
perceived  by  the  manner  of  his  speaking  that  he  had  told  her  all  his 
heart,  and  the  lords  of  the  Philistines  that  hired  her  to  do  this  base 
thing  are  sent  for ; but  they  must  be  sure  to  bring  the  money  in 
their  hands.  The  wages  of  unrighteousness  are  accordingly  produced, 
unknown  to  Samson ; it  would  grieve  one’s  heart  to  see  one  of  the 
bravest  men  then  in  the  world  sold  and  bought  as  a sheep  for  the 
slaughter.  How  doth  this  instance  sully  all  the  glory  of  man,  and 
forbid  the  strong  man  ever  to  boast  of  his  strength? 

Many  in  the  world  would,  for  the  hundredth  part  of  what  was 
here  gHen  to  Delilah,  sell  those  they  pretend  the  greatest  respect  for. 
Trust  not  in  a friend,  then  : put  not  confidence  in  a guide,  See  what 
a treacherous  method  she  took : she  made  him  sleep  upon  her  knees. 
Satan  ruins  men  by  rocking  them  asleep,  flattering  them  into  a 
good  opinion  of  their  own  safety,  and  so  bringing  them  to  mind 
nothing  and  fear  nothing,  and  then  he  robs  them  of  their  strength 
and  honour,  and  leads  them  captive  at  his  will. 

Matthew  Heniiy. 


h 


50 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


RUTH. 

HE  plume-like  swaying  of  the  auburn  corn, 

By  soft  winds  to  a dreamy  motion  fanned, 
Still  brings  me  back  thine  image  — O forlorn, 
Yet  not  forsaken  Buth ; I see  thee  stand 
Lone,  midst  the  gladness  of  the  haryest-band  — 

Lone  as  a wood-bird  on  the  ocean’s  foam, 

FalPn  in  its  weariness.  Thy  fatherland 
Smiles  far  away!  yet  to  the  sense  of  home  — 

That  finest,  purest,  which  can  recognise 
Home  in  affection’s  glance — for  ever  true 

Beats  thy  calm  heart ; and  if  thy  gentle  eyes 
Gleam  tremulous  through  tears,  ’tis  not  to  rue 
Those  words,  immortal  in  their  deep  love’s  tone, 

‘ Thy  people  and  thy  God  shall  be  mine  own.’ 


Mrs.  Hemans. 


51 


RUTH  AND  NAOMI. 

HE  historical  things  in  the  hook  of  Ruth  seem  to  he  inserted 
in  the  canon  of  the  Scripture,  especially  on  two  accounts. 
First,  because  Christ  was  of  Ruth’s  posterity.  The  Holy 
Ghost  thought  fit  to  take  particular  notice  of  that  marriage  of  Boaz 
with  Ruth,  whence  sprang  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  We  may  often 
observe  it,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  who  indited  the  Scriptures  often  takes 
notice  of  little  things,  or  minute  occurrences,  that  do  hut  remotely 
relate  to  Jesus  Christ. 

Secondly,  because  this  history  seems  to  be  typical  of  the  calling  of 
the  Gentile  church,  and,  indeed,  of  the  conversion  of  every  believer. 
Ruth  was  not  originally  of  Israel,  but  was  a Moabitess,  an  alien  from 
the  commonwealth  of  Israel : but  she  forsook  her  own  people,  and  the 
idols  of  the  Gentiles,  to  worship  the  God  of  Israel,  and  to  join  herself 
to  that  people.  Herein  she  seems  to  be  a type  of  the  Gentile  church, 
and  also  of  every  sincere  convert. 

Naomi  was  returning  out  of  the  land  of  Moab  into  the  land  of 
Israel,  with  her  two  daughters-in-law,  Orpah  and  Ruth,  who  will 
represent  to  us  two  sorts  of  professors  of  religion  : Orpah  those  who 
indeed  make  a fair  profession,  and  seem  to  set  out  well,  but  continue 
only  for  a while  and  then  turn  back ; Ruth,  those  who  are  sound  and 
sincere,  and  therefore  are  stedfast  and  persevering  in  their  way. 

Naomi  represents  to  her  daughters  the  difficulties  of  their  leaving 
their  own  country  to  go  with  her ; and  we  observe  the  remarkable 
conduct  and  behaviour  of  Ruth,  with  what  inflexible  resolution  she 
cleaves  to  Naomi  and  follows  her.  I would  particularly  observe  that 


52 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


wherein  the  virtuousness  of  this  her  resolution  consists,  namely,  that  it 
was  for  the  sake  of  the  Gfod  of  Israel,  and  that  she  might  be  one  of  His 
people,  that  she  was  thus  resolved  to  cleave  to  Naomi:  Thy  people  shall 
be  my  people,  and  thy  God  my  God.  It  was  for  God’s  sake  that  she 
did  this,  and  therefore  her  so  doing  is  afterwards  spoken  of  as  a 
virtuous  behaviour  in  her.  And  Boaz  answered  and  said  unto  her,  It 
hath  fully  been  showed  me  all  that  thou  hast  done  unto  thy  mother-in- 
law  since  the  death  of  thine  husband  ; and  how  thou  hast  left  thy 
father,  and  thy  mother,  and  the  land  of  thy  nativity,  and  art  come  unto 
a people  which  thou  knewest  not  heretofore.  The  Lord  recompense  thy 
work,  and  a full  reward  be  given  thee  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  under 
whose  wings  thou  art  come  to  trust. 

She  left  her  father  and  mother  and  the  land  of  her  nativity,  to  come 
and  trust  under  the  shadow  of  God’s  wings,  and  she  had  indeed  a full 
reward  given  her,  as  Boaz  wished ; for,  besides  immediate  spiritual 
blessings  to  her  own  soul,  and  eternal  rewards  in  another  world,  she 
was  rewarded  with  plentiful  and  prosperous  outward  circumstances  in 
the  family  of  Boaz.  And  God  raised  up  David  and  Solomon  of  her 
seed,  and  established  the  crown  of  Israel  (the  people  that  she  chose 
before  her  own  people)  in  her  posterity  ; and,  which  is  much  more,  of 
her  seed  He  raised  up  Jesus  Christ,  in  whom  all  the  families  of  the 
earth  are  blessed. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  of  those  who  have  been  conversant  one 
with  another — who  have  dwelt  together  as  neighbours,  and  have  been 
often  together  as  companions,  or  united  in  their  relation  and  have 
been  together  in  darkness,  bondage,  and  misery  in  the  service  of  Satan 
- — some  are  enlightened  and  have  their  minds  changed,  are  made  to  see 
the  great  evil  of  sin,  and  have  their  hearts  turned  to  God.  They  are 
influenced  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  to  leave  their  company  that  are 
on  Satan’s  side,  and  to  join  themselves  with  that  blessed  company  that 
are  with  Jesus  Christ.  They  are  made  willing  to  forsake  the  tents  of 
wickedness,  to  dwell  in  the  land  of  uprightness  with  the  people  of  God. 

And  sometimes  this  proves  a final  parting  or  separation  between 


RUTH  AND  NAOMI. 


53 


them  and  those  with  whom  they  have  been  formerly  conversant. 
Though  it  may  be  no  parting  in  outward  respects,  they  may  still  dwell 
and  converse  with  one  another  ; yet,  in  other  respects,  it  sets  them  at  a 
great  distance.  One  is  a child  of  God,  and  the  other  His  enemy  ; one 
is  in  a miserable,  and  the  other  in  a happy  condition  ; one  is  a citizen 
of  the  heavenly  Zion,  the  other  is  under  condemnation.  They  are  no 
longer  together  in  those  respects  wherein  they  used  to  be  together. 
They  used  to  be  of  one  mind  to  serve  sin,  and  do  Satan’s  work ; now 
they  are  of  contrary  minds.  They  used  to  be  together  in  worldliness 
and  sinful  vanity ; now  they  are  of  exceeding  different  dispositions. 
They  are  separated  as  they  are  in  different  kingdoms  ; the  one  remains 
in  the  kingdom  of  darkness  ; the  other  is  translated  into  the  kingdom 
of  God’s  dear  Son.  And  sometimes  they  are  finally  separated  in  these 
respects  : while  one  dwells  in  the  land  of  Israel,  and  in  the  house  of 
God,  the  other,  like  Orpah,  lives  and  dies  in  the  land  of  Moab. 

How  it  is  lamentable,  it  is  awful  being  parted  so.  It  is  doleful, 
when  of  those  who  have  formerly  been  together  in  sin,  some  turn  to 
God,  and  join  themselves  with  His  people,  that  it  should  prove  a 
parting  between  them  and  their  former  companions  and  acquaintance. 
It  should  be  our  firm  and  inflexible  resolution  in  such  a case,  that  it 
shall  be  no  parting,  but  that  we  will  follow  them,  that  their  people 
shall  be  our  people,  and  their  God  our  God. 

Our  cleaving  to  them,  and  having  their  God  for  our  God,  and 
their  people  for  our  people,  depends  on  our  resolution  and  choice. 

The  firmness  of  resolution  in  using  means  in  order  to  it,  is  the  way 
to  have  means  effectual.  There  are  means  appointed  in  order  to  our 
becoming  some  of  the  true  Israel,  and  having  their  God  for  our  God ; 
and  the  thorough  use  of  these  means  is  the  way  to  have  success ; but 
not  a slack  or  slighty  use  of  them.  And,  that  we  may  be  thorough, 
there  is  need  of  strength  and  resolution,  a firm  and  inflexible  disposi- 
tion and  bent  of  mind  to  be  universal  in  the  use  of  means,  and  to  do 
what  we  do  with  our  might,  and  to  persevere  in  it.  The  kingdom  of 
heaven  suffereth  violence,  and  the  violent  take  it  by  force. 


54 


THE  WOMEN  OE  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


A choosing  of  their  God  and  their  people,  with  a full  determination 
and  with  the  whole  sonl,  is  the  condition  of  a union  with  them.  God 
gives  every  man  his  choice  in  this  matter  : as  Orpah  and  Ruth  had 
their  choice  whether  they  would  go  with  Naomi  into  the  land  of  Israel, 
or  stay  in  the  land  of  Moab.  A natural  man  may  choose  deliverance 
from  hell ; but  no  man  doth  ever  heartily  choose  God  and  Christ,  and 
the  spiritual  benefits  that  Christ  has  purchased,  and  the  happiness  of 
God’s  people,  till  he  is  converted.  On  the  contrary,  he  is  averse  to 
them,  he  has  no  relish  of  them,  and  is  wholly  ignorant  of  their 
inestimable  worth  and  value. 

Many  carnal  men  seem  to  choose  these  things,  but  do  it  not  really  ; 
as  Orpah  seemed  at  first  to  choose  to  forsake  Moab  to  go  into  the  land 
of  Israel : but  when  Naomi  came  to  set  before  her  the  difficulty  of  it, 
she  went  back,  and  thereby  showed  that  she  was  not  fully  determined 
in  her  choice,  and  that  her  whole  soul  was  not  in  it  as  Ruth’s  was. 

Jonathan  Edwards. 


55 


HANNAH. 

LKANA.H  had  fallen  into  an  error  too  common  in  those  times: 
he  had  departed  from  the  divine  institution  which  makes 
of  twain  one  flesh  ; and  had  met  the  consequences  of  his  sin 
in  a distracted  family.  Hannah  had  no  children  ; and  was  insulted  by 
Peninnah  on  that  account,  year  by  year,  as  she  went  up  to  the  House 
of  the  Lord.  Daily  vexed  and  reproached  by  her  adversary,  she  wept 
and  did  not  eat : her  husband  endeavoured  to  comfort  her ; hut  this 
was  one  of  those  many  cases,  in  which  God  teaches  His  children  that 
He  is  their  only  portion  and  refuge. 

Hannah  had  long  mourned  under  a grievance  which  seems  to  have 
been  peculiarly  felt  in  those  times.  The  heart  knoweth  its  own 
bitterness ; and  we  may  recollect  that  some  of  the  sharpest  trials  we 
ourselves  have  endured,  could  not  be  fully  explained  to  others. 

But  how  does  she  act  under  this  P Does  she,  like  many  who,  if 
they  are  crossed,  fall  into  murmurings  against  Providence,  quarrel 
with  the  affliction,  cast  the  blame  on  everybody  but  themselves,  and 
nurse  a peevishness  and  impatience  that  God  Himself  cannot  please  ? 
These  are  signs  of  spiritual  death,  but  she  had  passed  from  death  unto 
life : she  had  the  life  of  faith,  which  seemed  to  say,  Though  He 
slay  me,  yet  will  I trust  in  Him.  She  sees  the  hand  of  God  in  her 
affliction,  and  she  bows  before  it  in  the  bitterness  of  her  soul : she 
takes  hold  of  it,  yea,  she  hangs  upon  it,  by  the  life  of  hope.  She  is 
chastened  by  a father ; but  the  life  of  love  in  her  flies  to  Him  as  a 
father,  and  pours  her  soul  into  His  bosom. 


56 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


We  follow  her  into  the  temple,  and  behold  her  now  falling  before 
Him  who  dwelt  between  the  Cherubims.  The  world  is  shut  out ; and 
here,  in  the  solemn,  silent,  and  secret  place  of  the  Most  High,  she 
talks  to  Him  as  one  well  known ; she  wrestles  with  Him  like  J acob, 
she  seems  to  say,  I will  not  let  Thee  go  except  Thou  bless  me. 

Eli,  the  priest,  sat  upon  a seat  by  a post  of  the  Temple  of  the  Lord, 
and  was  to  be  a further  trial  of  the  reality  of  the  heavenly  life  which 
animated  her  soul.  Heavy,  indeed,  is  the  burden  of  that  pilgrim  whose 
guide  is  himself  misled ; and  who,  from  negligence  or  mistake,  adds  to 
the  weight  which  he  should  alleviate.  But  it  is  one  of  the  privileges 
of  the  divine  life,  that  it  is  prepared  to  meet  errors  by  an  inward  and 
satisfactory  experience  of  the  truth.  Hannah’s  trust  was  in  God,  not 
in  Eli : she  saw  him  in  an  error,  but  knew  her  best  Friend  could  not 
err.  Accused,  and  probably  shocked  at  such  a charge  as  that  which 
Eli  brought,  she  neither  forgot  God,  herself,  or  her  minister ; but  with 
deep  humility  and  unfeigned  reverence  for  his  office,  she  puts  forth  the 
genuine  fruits  of  that  Spirit  who  had  made  her  alive  to  God. 

Grace  so  softens  and  sweetens  the  heart,  that  its  genuine  expressions 
under  provocation  often  rise  to  a sublimity  and  tenderness  which  make 
the  language  of  poets  and  orators  seem  but  vulgar  and  unmeaning 
artifice. 

Happy,  though  afflicted  woman,  who  could  thus  stand  as  a witness 
of  the  life  of  religion,  while  the  sons  of  Eli  were  bringing  a scandal 
upon  it  by  their  avarice  and  debauchery  at  the  very  altar ; and  while 
their  pious  father  himself  was  negligent  as  a judge,  and  mistaking  as 
a minister.  Happy  witness ! who  could  turn  from  professors  and 
profane,  from  trials  in  the  house  and  scandals  in  the  church,  and 
commit  herself  to  Him  that  judgeth  righteously.  This  is,  indeed, 
that  life  of  God  in  the  soul,  which  He  will  first  prove  and  then  own. 
He  proves  its  reality  by  bringing  it  to  the  test.  He  improves  its 
power  by  exercise,  and  teaches  all  His  children  to  prepare  for  it. 

The  Lord  not  only  honours  the  work  which  He  has  proved,  but  He 
often  does  so  beyond  all  that  we  can  ask  or  think.  Hannah  has  asked 


HANNAH. 


57 


for  a man-child ; but  it  was  not  in  her  contemplation  to  ask  for  a 
Samuel,  that  light  of  Israel,  that  prophet  mighty  in  word  and  deed 
before  God,  that  blessing  and  pattern  to  the  world  in  every  age.  She 
brought  the  child  to  Eli,  and  said,  0 my  Lord,  I am  the  woman  that 
stood  by  thee  here  praying.  You  recollect,  as  if  she  had  said,  a 
poor,  broken-hearted  creature,  drunk  indeed  with  grief,  though  not 
with  wine.  You  saw  me  here  reduced  to  the  one  help  and  hope  of 
the  comfortless.  I am  the  woman  whom  you  sent  away  with  a word 
of  encouragement,  and  here  is  the  answer  to  my  prayer  ; for  this 
child  I prayed : and  I am  come  this  day  to  give  him  up  to  that  God 
who  is  all  my  salvation  and  all  my  desire. 

Richard  Cecil. 


i 


58 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


ABIGAIL. 


IjaapiaAIL,  which  signifies  her  father’s  joy,  had  sorrow  enough 
ffiSrpI  to  he  matched  with  so  unworthy  a husband.  If  her  father 
had  meant  she  should  have  had  joy  in  herself,  or  in  her 
life,  he  had  not  disposed  her  to  a husband,  though  rich,  yet  fond  and 
wicked  : it  is  like  he  married  her  to  the  wealth,  not  to  the  man. 
Many  a child  is  cast  away  on  riches.  Wealth  in  our  matches,  should 
be  as  some  grains  or  scruples  in  the  balance,  superadded  to  the  gold 
of  virtuous  qualities,  to  weigh  down  the  scales ; when  it  is  made 
the  substance  of  the  weight,  and  good  qualities  the  appendence,  there 
is  but  one  earth  poised  with  another  ; which,  wheresoever  it  is  done, 
it  is  a wonder  if  either  the  children  prove  not  the  parents’  sorrow, 
or  the  parents  theirs. 

Nabal’s  sheep- shearing  was  famous  ; three  thousand  fleeces  must 
needs  require  many  hands ; neither  is  anything  more  plentiful  com- 
monly than  a churl’s  feast.  What  a world  was  this,  that  the  noble 
champion  and  rescuer  of  Israel,  God’s  anointed,  is  driven  to  send  to 
a base  carle  for  victuals  ! It  is  no  measuring  of  men  by  the  depth 
of  the  purse,  by  outward  prosperity.  Servants  are  sometimes  set  on 
horseback  while  princes  go  on  foot.  Our  estimation  must  be  led  by 
their  inward  worth,  which  is  not  alterable  by  time,  nor  diminished 
with  external  conditions. 

One  good  turn  requires  another : in  some  cases  not  hurting  is 
meritorious.  He  that  should  examine  the  qualities  of  David’s  followers 
must  needs  grant  it  worthy  of  a fee,  that  Nabal’s  flocks  lay  untouched 
in  Carmel ; but  more,  that  David’s  soldiers  were  JNabal’s  shepherds, — 
yea,  the  keepers  of  his  shepherds, — gave  them  a just  interest  in  that 
sheep-shearing  feast ; justly  should  they  have  been  set  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  table.  That  Nabal’s  sheep  were  safe,  he  might  thank 


ABIGAIL. 


59 


David’s  soldiers : it  is  no  small  benefit  that  we  receive  in  a safe 
protection  ; well  may  we  think  onr  substance  due,  where  we  owe 
ourselves.  Yet  this  churlish  Nabal  doth  not  only  give  nothing 
to  David’s  messengers,  but  what  is  worse  than  nothing,  ill  words  : 
‘ Who  is  David,  or  who  is  the  son  of  Jesse  ? There  be  many  servants 
nowadays  that  break  away  from  their  masters.’  David  asked  him 
bread,  he  giveth  him  stones.  All  Israel  knew,  and  honoured  their 
deliverer ; yet  this  clown,  to  save  his  victuals,  will  needs  make  him 
a man  of  no  merits  or  ill,  either  an  obscure  man  or  a fugitive. 
Nothing  is  more  cheap  than  good  words  ; these  Nabal  might  have 
given,  and  never  been  the  poorer ; if  he  had  been  resolved  to  shut 
his  hands  in  a fear  of  Saul’s  revenge,  he  might  so  have  tempered  his 
denial  that  the  repulse  might  have  been  free  from  offence,  but  now  his 
foul  mouth  doth  not  only  deny  but  revile. 

David,  which  had  all  this  while  been  in  the  school  of  patience, 
hath  now  his  lesson  to  seek  ; he,  who  hath  happily  digested  all  the 
railings  and  persecutions  of  a wicked  master,  cannot  put  up  this 
affront  of  a Nabal ; nothing  can  assuage  his  choler  but  blood.  How 
subject  are  the  best  of  God’s  saints  to  weak  passions ! and  if  we  have 
the  grace  to  ward  an  expected  blow  of  temptation,  how  easily  are 
we  surprised  with  a sudden  foil. 

Wherefore  serve  those  recorded  weaknesses  of  holy  men,  but  to 
strengthen  us  against  the  conscience  of  our  infirmities  ? Not  that  we 
should  take  courage  to  imitate  them  in  the  evil  whereunto  they  have 
been  miscarried ; but  we  should  take  heart  to  ourselves  against  the 
discouragement  of  our  own  evils. 

The  wisdom  of  God  hath  so  contrived  it,  that  commonly  in  societies 
good  is  mixed  with  evil : wicked  Nabal  hath  in  his  house  a wise 
and  good  servant,  a prudent  and  worthy  wife ; that  wise  servant  is 
careful  to  advertise  his  mistress  of  the  danger,  his  prudent  mistress 
is  careful  to  prevent  it. 

The  lives  of  all  his  family  were  now  in  hazard  : she  dares  not 
commit  this  business  to  the  fidelity  of  a messenger,  but  forgetting 


60 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


her  sex,  puts  herself  into  the  errand  ; her  foot  is  not  slow,  her  hand 
is  not  empty : according  to  the  offence  she  frames  her  satisfaction. 
Her  husband  refused  to  give,  she  brings  a bountiful  gift ; her  husband 
gave  ill  words,  she  sweetens  them  with  a meek  and  humble  depre- 
cation ; her  husband  could  say,  ‘ Who  is  David  F ’ she  falls  at  his 
feet;  her  husband  dismisses  David’s  men  empty,  she  brings  her 
servants  laden  with  provisions,  as  if  it  had  been  only  meant  to  ease 
the  repelled  messengers  of  the  carriage,  not  to  scant  them  of  the 
required  benevolence  : no  wit,  no  art,  could  devise  a more  pithy 
and  powerful  oratory.  As  all  satisfaction,  so  hers  begins  with  a 
confession,  wherein  she  deeply  blameth  the  folly  of  her  husband. 
She  could  not  have  been  a good  wife,  if  she  had  not  honoured  her 
unworthy  head  : if  a stranger  should  have  termed  him  fool  in  her 
hearing,  he  could  not  have  gone  away  in  peace ; now,  to  save  his  life, 
she  is  bold  to  acknowledge  his  folly.  It  is  a good  disparagement  that 
preserveth.  There  is  the  same  way  to  our  peace  in  heaven  : the  only 
mean  to  escape  judgment  is  to  complain  of  our  own  vileness.  She 
pleadeth  her  ignorance  of  the  fact,  and  therein  her  freedom  from  the 
offence ; she  humbly  craveth  acceptation  of  her  presents  with  pardon 
of  the  fault ; she  professeth  David’s  honourable  acts  and  merits ; she 
foretels  his  future  success  and  glory ; she  lays  before  him  the  happy 
peace  of  his  soul,  in  refraining  from  innocent  blood.  David’s  breast, 
which  could  not  through  the  seeds  of  grace  grow  to  a stubbornness 
in  ill  resolutions,  cannot  but  relent  with  these  powerful  and  seasonable 
persuasions  ; and  now,  instead  of  revenge,  he  blesseth  God  for  sending 
Abigail  to  meet  him,  he  blesseth  Abigail  for  her  counsel,  he  blesseth 
the  counsel  for  so  wholesome  efficacy ; and  now  rejoiceth  more  in 
being  overcome  with  a wise  and  gracious  advice,  than  he  would  have 
rejoiced  in  a revengeful  victory. 

It  was  no  time  to  advise  Nabal  while  his  reason  was  drowned 
in  a deluge  of  wine : a beast  or  a stone  is  as  capable  of  good  counsel 
as  a drunkard.  Oh,  that  the  noblest  creature  should  so  far  abase  himself 
as  for  a little  liquor,  to  lose  the  use  of  those  faculties  whereby  he 


ABIGAIL. 


61 


is  a man  ! Those  that  have  to  do  with  drink  or  frenzy  must  be 
glad  to  watch  times  ; so  did  Abigail,  who  the  next  morning  presents 
to  her  husband  the  yiew  of  his  faults,  of  his  danger ; he  then  sees 
how  near  he  was  to  death  and  felt  it  not.  That  worldly  mind  is  so 
apprehensive  of  the  death  that  should  have  been,  as  that  he  dies  to 
think  that  he  had  like  to  have  died.  Who  would  think  a man  could 
be  so  affected  with  a danger  passed,  and  yet  so  senseless  of  a future, 
yea,  imminent ! He  that  was  yesterday  as  a beast  is  now  as  a stone  ; 
he  was  then  over-merry,  now  dead  and  lumpish.  Carnal  hearts  are 
ever  in  extremities  : if  they  be  once  down,  their  dejection  is  desperate, 
because  they  have  no  inward  comfort  to  mitigate  their  sorrow.  What 
difference  there  was  between  the  dispositions  of  David  and  Habal ! 
How  oft  had  David  been  in  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  and 
feared  no  evil ! Habal  is  but  once  put  in  mind  of  a death  that  might 
have  been,  and  is  stricken  dead. 

How  far  God  looks  beyond  our  purposes ! Abigail  came  only  to 
plead  for  an  ill  husband;  and  now  God  makes  this  journey  a pre- 
paration for  a better ; so  that  in  one  act  she  preserved  an  ill  husband, 
and  won  a good  one  for  the  future.  David  well  remembers  her  comely 
person,  her  wise  speeches,  her  graceful  carriage ; and  now,  when 
modesty  found  it  seasonable,  he  sends  to  sue  her  who  had  been  his 
suppliant.  She  entreated  for  her  husband ; David  treats  with  her 
for  his  wife  : her  request  was  to  escape  his  sword  ; he  wisheth  her 
to  his  bed.  It  was  a fair  suit  to  change  a David  for  a Habal ; to 
become  David^s  queen  instead  of  Habal’s  drudge.  She  that  learned 
humility  under  so  hard  a tutor  abaseth  herself  no  less  when  David 
offers  to  advance  her : ‘ Let  thine  handmaid  be  a servant  to  wash 
the  feet  of  the  servants  of  my  lord.’  Hone  are  so  lit  to  be  great  as 
those  that  can  stoop  lowest.  How  could  David  be  more  hapjDy  in 
a wife  P he  finds  at  once  piety,  wisdom,  humility,  faithfulness,  wealth, 
beauty.  How  could  Abigail  be  more  happy  in  a husband,  than  in 
the  prophet,  the  champion,  the  anointed  of  God  P Those  marriages 
are  well  made  wherein  virtues  are  matched,  and  happiness  is  mutual. 

Bishop  Hall. 


62 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


A MOTHER’S  LOVE. 


ER,  by  her  smile,  how  soon  the  stranger  knows  ; 
How  soon  by  his  the  glad  discovery  shows, 

As  to  her  lips  she  lifts  the  lovely  boy, 

What  answering  looks  of  sympathy  and  joy ! 

He  walks,  he  speaks.  In  many  a broken  word, 

His  wants,  his  wishes,  and  his  griefs  are  heard. 

And  ever,  ever  to  her  lap  he  flies, 

When  rosy  sleep  comes  on  with  sweet  surprise. 

Locked  in  her  arms,  his  arms  across  her  flung 
(That  name  most  dear  for  ever  on  his  tongue), 

As  with  soft  accents  round  her  neck  he  clings, 

And,  cheek  to  cheek,  her  lulling  song  she  sings  : 

How  blest  to  feel  the  beatings  of  his  heart, 

Breathe  his  sweet  breath,  and  bliss  for  bliss  impart : 
Watch  o’er  his  slumbers  like  the  brooding  dove, 

And,  if  she  can,  exhaust  a mother’s  love ! 


S.  Rogers. 


63 


THE  TWO  MOTHERS. 


WO  women  come  before  young  Solomon  with  a difficult  plea. 

One  son  is  yet  alive ; two  mothers  contend  for  him.  The 
i children  were  alike  for  features,  for  age ; the  mothers  were 
alike  for  reputation : here  can  be  no  evidence  from  others  eyes, 
whether’s  now  is  the  living  child,  and  whether’s  is  the  dead.  The 
countenance  of  either  of  the  mothers  bewrayed  an  equality  of  passion ; 
sorrow  possessed  the  one  for  the  son  she  had  lost,  and  the  other  for  the 
one  she  was  in  danger  to  lose : both  were  equally  peremptory  and 
importunate  in  their  claim.  It  is  in  vain  to  think  that  the  true  part 
can  be  discerned  by  the  vehemence  of  their  challenge ; falsehood  is 
ofttimes  more  clamorous  than  truth.  Ho  witnesses  can  be  produced ; 
they  two  dwelt  apart  under  one  roof ; and  if  some  neighbours  have 
seen  the  children  at  their  birth  and  circumcision,  yet  how  little  differ- 
ence, how  much  change  is  there  in  the  favour  of  infants ! How  doth 
death  alter  more  confirmed  lines  ! 

The  impossibility  of  proof  makes  the  guilty  more  confident,  more 
impudent.  The  true  mother  pleads  that  her  child  was  taken  away  at 
midnight  by  the  other  ; but  in  her  sleep ; she  saw  it  not,  she  felt  it 
not;  and,  if  all  her  senses  could  have  witnessed  it,  yet  here  was  but 
the  affirmation  of  the  one  against  the  denial  of  the  other,  which,  in 
persons  alike  credible,  do  but  counterpoise.  What  is  there  now  to 
lead  the  judge,  since  there  is  nothing  either  in  the  act,  or  circumstances, 
or  persons,  or  plea,  or  evidence,  that  might  sway  the  sentence  ? 
Solomon  well  saw  that  when  all  outward  proofs  failed,  there  was  an 


64 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


inward  affection,  which,  if  it  could  be  fetched  out,  would  certainly 
betray  the  true  mother : he  knew  sorrow  might  more  easily  be 
dissembled  than  natural  love  : both  sorrowed  for  their  own  ; both  could 
not  love  one  as  theirs.  To  draw  forth  then  this  true  proof  of  mother- 
hood, Solomon  calls  for  a sword.  Doubtless,  some  of  the  wiser  hearers 
smiled  on  each  other,  and  thought  in  themselves,  ‘What,  will  the  young 
king  cut  these  knotty  causes  in  pieces?  Will  he  divide  justice  with 
edge  tools  ? Will  he  smite  at  hazard  before  conviction  ?’  The  actions 
of  wise  princes  are  riddles  to  vulgar  constructions  ; neither  is  it  for  the 
shallow  capacities  of  the  multitude  to  fathom  the  deep  projects  of 
sovereign  authority.  That  sword  which  had  served  for  execution  shall 
now  serve  for  trial  ; ‘ Divide  ye  the  living  child  in  twain,  and  give 
the  one  half  to  the  one,  and  the  other  half  to  the  other.’  0 divine 
oracle  of  justice,  commanding  that  which  it  would  not  have  done,  that 
it  might  find  out  that  which  could  not  be  discovered ! Neither  God 
nor  his  deputies  may  be  so  taken  at  their  words,  as  if  they  always 
intended  their  commands  for  action,  and  not  sometimes  for  probation. 

This  sword  hath  already  pierced  the  breast  of  the  true  mother,  and 
divided  her  heart  with  fear  and  grief,  at  so  killing  a sentence.  There 
needs  no  other  rack  to  discover  nature;  and  now  she  thinks,  ‘Woe  is 
me,  that  came  for  justice,  and  am  answered  with  cruelty.  Divide  ye 
the  living  child ! Alas,  what  hath  that  poor  infant  offended,  that  it 
survives  and  is  sued  for  ? How  much  less  miserable  had  I been,  that 
my  child  had  been  smothered  in  my  sleep,  than  mangled  before  mine 
eyes ! If  a dead  carcass  could  have  satisfied  me,  I needed  not  to  have 
complained.  What  a woful  condition  am  I fallen  into,  who  am  accused 
to  have  been  the  death  of  my  supposed  child  already,  and  now  shall  be 
the  death  of  mine  own  ? If  there  were  no  loss  of  my  child,  yet  how 
can  I endure  this  torment  of  mine  own  bowels  ? How  can  I live  to 
see  this  part  of  myself  sprawling  under  that  bloody  sword  ? ’ And 
while  she  thinks  thus,  she  sues  to  that  suspected  mercy  of  her  just 
judge  ; ‘ O my  lord,  give  her  the  living  child,  and  slay  him  not ! ’ as 
thinking,  ‘ If  he  live  he  shall  but  change  a mother ; if  he  die  his 


THE  TWO  MOTHERS. 


65 


mother  loseth  a son  : while  he  lives,  it  shall  be  my  comfort  that  I have 
a son,  though  I may  not  call  him  so  ; dying,  he  perisheth  to  both  : it 
is  better  he  should  live  to  a wrong  mother,  than  to  neither.’  Contrarily, 
her  envious  competitor,  as  holding  herself  well  satisfied  that  her  neigh- 
bour should  he  as  childless  as  herself,  can  say,  ‘ Let  it  he  neither  mine 
nor  thine,  but  divide  it.’ 

Well  might  Solomon  and  every  hearer  conclude,  that  either  she 
was  no  mother,  or  a monster,  that  could  be  content  with  the  murder  of 
her  child ; and  that  if  she  could  have  been  the  true  mother,  and  yet 
have  desired  the  blood  of  her  infant,  she  had  been  as  worthy  to  have 
been  stripped  of  her  child  for  so  foul  unnaturalness,  as  the  other  had 
been  worthy  to  enjoy  him  for  her  honest  compassion,  blot  more  justly 
than  wisely  therefore,  doth  Solomon  trace  the  true  mother  by  the 
footsteps  of  love  and  pity  j and  adjudgeth  the  child  to  those  bowels 
that  had  yearned  at  his  danger. 

Even  in  morality  it  is  thus  also ; truth  as  it  is  one,  so  it  loves 
entireness ; falsehood,  division.  Satan  that  hath  no  right  to  the  heart, 
would  be  content  with  a piece  of  it ; God,  that  made  it  all,  will  have 
either  the  whole  or  none.  The  erroneous  church  strives  with  the  true, 
for  the  living  child  of  saving  doctrine ; each  claims  it  for  her  own ; 
heresy,  conscious  of  her  own  injustice,  could  be  content  to  go  away 
with  a leg  or  an  arm  of  sound  principles,  as  hoping  to  make  up  the 
rest  with  her  own  mixtures : truth  cannot  abide  to  part  with  a joint ; 
and  will  rather  endure  to  lose  all  by  violence,  than  a piece  through  a 
willing  connivancy. 

Bishop  Hall. 


k 


66 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


THE  QUEEN  OF  SHEBA. 


is  worthy  observation,  the  splendour  with  which  this  queen 
of  Sheba  visited  the  monarch  of  Israel.  It  is  not  impossible 
but  that  from  the  natural  affection  of  her  own  heart,  in  that 
innate  and  inbred  pride,  which  belongs  to  our  whole  nature  by  the  fall, 
though  she  had  heard  of  Solomon’s  fame  she  might  have  no  small  good 
opinion  of  herself.  For  it  is  said  that  she  came  to  prove  him  with  hard 
questions.  And  certainly,  if  she  thought  to  put  to  the  test  the  abilities 
of  Solomon,  she  must  have  thought  herself  competent  to  do  so  from  her 
own  understanding.  One  thing,  however,  is  evident  from  her  history. 
Her  visit  was  not  in  relation  to  the  general  system  of  monarchs,  either 
to  make  a treaty  for  the  extension  of  her  own  dominions,  or  for  the 
discovery  of  his,  or  to  form  a mutual  guarantee  of  peace  for  both.  Her 
single  errand,  it  is  said,  was  to  know  if  the  general  report  of  Solomon’s 
wisdom  was  correct,  and  principally  on  that  first  of  all  subjects,  con- 
cerning the  name  of  the  Lord.  Hut  she  came  with  a very  great  train, 
and  with  all  the  pageantry  of  a southern  princess. 

And  thus,  for  the  most  part,  until  better  taught,  cometh  the  natural 
man  to  the  Almighty  Solomon,  our  Lord  J esus  Christ,  when  coming  to 
prove  Him  with  hard  questions.  Like  a stately  vessel,  laden  with 
good  things,  he  hath  put  on  board  all  his  stock.  He  hath,  in  his  own 
view,  done  much  good  in  life ; a cargo  of  alms-deeds,  and  charities,  for 
which  he  promiseth  himself  a good  reception  at  the  heavenly  port. 
What  less  than  the  sovereign  power  of  God  shall  be  sufficient  to  take 
the  film  off  from  the  eyes  so  blinded  by  nature,  both  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  original  and  actual  sin  of  that  nature  P 


p THE  QUEEN  OF  SHEBA. 


67 


It  was  said  by  the  Son  of  God  Himself,  concerning  the  coming  of  tbe 
Holy  Gbost  to  His  church  and  people,  that  the  first  manifestations  of 
His  grace  should  he  to  convince  of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of 
judgment.  And  that  the  same  Almighty  God  the  Spirit  should  take  of 
the  things  of  Christ  and  show  unto  the  people.  Hence  the  first  appre- 
hension on  the  mind,  under  convictions  of  sin,  gives  also  a desire  of 
deliverance  from  it,  and  prompts  an  inquiry  after  the  person  of  Christ. 
And  our  knowledge  of  His  grace  to  us  is  formed  by  the  manifestation 
He  makes  of  Himself,  when,  as  in  the  instance  of  this  woman  with 
Solomon,  the  Lord  answers  all  our  questions,  and  nothing  is  hid  from 
Him  of  which  He  tells  us  not. 

And  there  was  no  more  spirit  left  in  her.  Might  not  this  fainting 
of  soul  arise  from  the  view  of  the  solemn  service  of  the  temple,  and  yet 
more  strikingly  from  the  sacrifices  which  shadowed  forth  Christ  ? Who 
that  beholds  the  order  of  the  Lord’s  house,  His  ordinances  and  means 
of  grace,  the  Church  which  He  hath  purchased  with  His  most  precious 
blood,  the  bread  of  life,  and  the  water  of  life,  which  is  Himself,  and 
which  are  received  and  lived  upon  by  His  redeemed  ones  at  His 
sacramental  supper,  the  apparel  of  His  servants,  the  order  of  His 
ministry,  whom  He  hath  made  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  the 
Father  ? who  that  beholds  these  things,  and  through  sovereign  and 
almighty  grace  knows  himself  to  be  the  object  and  subject  of  divine 
favour,  and  interested  personally  himself  in  them,  and  is  in  the  full 
assurance  of  being  a partaker  of  these  unspeakable  mercies  in  Christ, 
but  must  faint  in  the  contemplation,  and  find  himself  overwhelmed, 
like  the  Queen  of  the  South,  who  had  no  spirit  left  in  her  ? 

Robert  Hawker. 


68 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


THE  WIDOW  OF  ZAREPHATH. 


HE  widow  of  Zarephath  claims  our  attention  as  one  selected 
by  our  Lord  Himself  for  His  especial  mention.  In  tbe 
synagogue  at  Nazareth  He  pointed  out  this  incident  in  the 
Old  Testament  as  a sign  that  God  was  about  to  call  the  Gentiles, 
saying  that  many  widows  were  in  Israel  in  the  days  of  Elias,  but  unto 
none  of  them  in  the  time  of  the  famine  was  Elias  sent,  but  unto  this 
widow  of  Sarepta.  The  case  of  this  heathen  woman  thus  visited  of 
God  was  like  that  of  the  Gentile  converts  afterwards  mentioned  in  the 
Gospels,  which  our  Lord  received  with  so  much  welcome ; inasmuch 
as  they  were  marked  by  Him  as  tokens  of  what  He  was  about  to 
do  in  receiving  the  heathen  for  His  inheritance. 

But  those  instances  which  come  before  us  in  the  Gospels  were 
not  merely  signs  and  outward  tokens  of  the  Gentiles  being  received, 
but  they  were  also  in  themselves  very  remarkable  examples  of  faith, 
such  as  were  not  found  in  Israel.  Of  these  was  that  of  the  cen- 
turion at  Capernaum,  at  the  greatness  of  whose  faith  it  is  said  the 
Lord  marvelled ; and  that  Canaanitish  woman  in  these  very  parts  about 
Tyre  and  Sidon,  who  by  a sort  of  holy  violence,  entered  the  kingdom, 
and  forced,  as  it  were,  from  Christ  Himself  that  confession,  0 woman, 
great  is  thy  faith  ! We  may  conclude,  therefore,  that  in  those  instances 
mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament  as  going  before,  the  same  was  the 
case ; and  that,  in  like  manner,  this  widow  of  Zarephath,  who  was  thus 
favoured  of  God  beyond  all  the  widows  in  Israel,  had  also  beyond 
them  all  the  faith  which  is  accepted  with  Him. 


THE  WIDOW  OF  ZAREPHATH. 


69 


The  poor  famished  widow  fulfilled,  while  she  knew  it  not,  our 
Lord’s  highest  precept,  and  the  crown  of  Christian  grace.  ‘ Sell  that  ye 
have  and  give  alms ; behold  the  fowls  of  the  air ; consider  the  ravens, 
they  have  neither  storehouse  nor  barn ; seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  His  righteousness,  and  all  other  things  shall  be  added  unto 
you.’  She  fulfilled  the  command,  and  in  so  doing  received  the  promise. 
When  all  around  were  perishing  of  famine,  she  was  abundantly  sus- 
tained with  the  bread  that  strengthens  man’s  heart,  and  with  the  oil 
that  gives  the  cheerful  countenance ; her  memorial  may  well  be  trea- 
sured in  the  Christian  Church,  as  an  emblem  of  those  who  in  faith  give 
unto  God,  and  are  sustained  in  an  evil  world  by  that  true  Bread  of 
which  he  that  eateth  shall  never  die ; and  in  gladness  of  heart  partake 
of  the  anointing  of  the  great  Comforter. 

But  a higher  lesson  and  heavier  trial  awaited  her.  My  son,  if  thou 
come  to  serve  the  Lord,  says  the  wise  man,  prepare  thy  soul  for  tempt- 
ation. Those  that  are  found  faithful  are  led  on  from  one  trial  to 
another,  as  was  Abraham  of  old,  in  order  that  they  may  receive  that 
better  crown  which  the  Lord  hath  promised  to  them  that  love  Him. 

The  son  of  the  widow  had  been  preserved  from  death  by  famine ; 
but  what  is  it  to  him  or  to  any  of  us  to  be  rescued  for  a time  from 
death,  if  it  is  only  afterwards  to  die  at  last  ? She  has,  therefore,  like 
the  faithful  Abraham,  to  learn,  as  it  were  in  a figure,  the  mystery  of 
the  resurrection,  otherwise  life  were  no  life,  unless  it  be  that  life  which 
is  the  especial  gift  of  God,  the  life  which  is  in  His  Son. 

After  these  things,  it  is  said,  the  son  of  the  woman  fell  sick  ; and 
his  sickness  was  so  sore  that  there  was  no  breath  left  in  him.  The 
prophet  Elijah  had  been  now  sojourning  with  her,  and  no  doubt  in  the 
holiness  of  that  man  of  God  she  had  learned  a deeper  sense  of  sin  ; her 
sins  old  and  new  had  come  forth  to  her  remembrance*  and  she  judged 
aright  that  sorrow  and  death  are  the  wages  of  sin.  And  she  said  unto 
Elijah,  ‘ What  have  I to  do  with  thee,  0 thou  man  of  God  ? Art  thou 
come  to  call  my  sin  to  remembrance  and  to  slay  my  son  ? ’ It  was  the 
natural  expression  of  her  grief  and  her  humility,  like  that  of  St.  Peter 


70 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT, 


when,  made  sensible  of  the  presence  of  God  in  Christ  by  a miracle,  he 
fell  at  His  knees,  saying,  ‘ Depart  from  me,  for  I am  a sinful  man, 
O Lord.’ 

And  what  if  it  be  so,  if  chastening  is  the  sign  of  God’s  love,  and  if 
He  scourgeth  those  whom  He  receives,  even  the  coming  of  a man  of 
God  may  bring  sorrow.  When  God  drew  near  to  David  in  His  prophet 
Nathan,  with  forgiveness  and  acceptance,  did  He  not  bring  his  sins  to 
remembrance  by  saying  that  his  child  should  die  P And  was  not  the 
very  pledge  of  his  pardon  mixed  up  with  those  his  after  sorrows,  when 
calling  his  sin  to  remembrance  he  repeated  that  memorable  bitter  cry, 
‘ My  son  ! My  son  ! ’ And  much  had  she  still  need  of  trial ; even  the 
disciples,  long  after  they  had  given  up  all  for  Christ’s  sake,  after  they 
had  confessed  their  full  belief  in  His  Godhead,  and  after  He  had  been 
so  long  a time  with  them,  yet  even  at  the  last  they  were  still  as  if  they 
had  all  to  learn.  No  wonder  then  if  this  Zidonian  widow  needed  yet 
greater  trials  and  a greater  faith,  and  a greater  miracle — and  that  she 
should  then  say  to  Elijah  at  last,  as  if  not  convinced  till  then,  ‘ Now 
by  this  I know  that  thou  art  a man  of  God.’ 

Like  the  piece  of  wool  filled  with  moisture,  she  had  a sign  in  the 
dews  of  God’s  blessing ; she  needed  yet  another  sign  when  the  wool 
should  be  wrung  dry  by  exceeding  sorrow,  and  burned  up  by  the  sun  of 
affliction.  And  is  not  this  the  case  with  the  best  amonsf  Christians  P 

o 

So  infinitely  great  is  the  knowledge  of  God,  that  His  divine  light  but 
opens  the  soul  more  and  more  to  acknowledge  and  bewail  its  ignorances 
of  Him — all  that  is  past  seems  as  nothing,  as  the  soul  opens  to  know 
God ; and  the  state  of  the  most  saintly  heart  is  as  if  it  had  not  already 
attained,  or  were  already  perfect,  but  forgetting  those  things  that  are 
behind,  and  reaching  forth  unto  the  things  that  are  before,  if  by  any 
means  it  may  attain  unto  the  resurrection  from  the  dead. 

Isaac  Williams. 


71 


THE  SHUNAMITE. 


HERE  may  be  some  reason  to  imagine  that  it  was  with 
design  to  humble  those  who  are  in  distinguished  stations 
of  life,  and  who  have  peculiar  advantages  and  obligations 
to  excel  in  religion,  that  God  has  shown  us  in  Scripture,  as  well 
as  in  common  life,  some  bright  examples  of  piety,  where  they  could 
hardly  have  been  expected  in  so  great  a degree-;  and  hath,  as  it  were, 
perfected  praise  out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings.  Thus 
when  Zacharias,  an  aged  priest,  doubted  the  veracity  of  the  angel 
which  appeared  to  assure  him  of  the  birth  of  his  child,  which  was 
to  be  produced  in  an  ordinary  way ; Mary,  an  obscure  young  virgin, 
could  believe  a far  more  unexampled  event,  and  said,  with  humble 
faith  and  thankful  consent,  ‘ Behold  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord,  be 
it  unto  me  according  to  thy  word.’  Jonah,  the  prophet,  though 
favoured  with  such  immediate  revelations,  and  so  lately  delivered 
in  a miraculous  way  from  the  very  belly  of  hell,  was  thrown  into 
a most  indecent  transport  of  passion  on  the  withering  of  a gourd ; 
so  that  he  presumed  to  tell  the  Almighty  to  His  face  that  he  did 
well  to  be  angry  even  unto  death  ; whereas  this  pious  woman  pre- 
serves the  calmness  and  serenity  of  her  temper  when  she  had  lost 
a child  — a son,  an  only  child — who  had  been  given  beyond  all 
natural  hope,  and  therefore,  to  be  sure,  was  so  much  the  dearer,  and 
the  expectation  from  him  so  much  the  higher.  Yet  these  expecta- 
tions were  dashed  almost  in  a moment.  The  child  was  well  in  the 
morning,  and  dead  by  noon ; a pale  corpse  in  his  mother’s  arms  ! 


72 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


He  now  lay  dead  in  the  house ; and  yet  she  had  the  faith  and  the 
goodness  to  say,  It  is  well. 

This  good  woman  had  found  the  prophet  Elisha  grateful  for  all 
the  favours  he  had  received  at  her  house  ; where  she  had  from  time 
to  time  accommodated  him  in  his  journeys,  and  thought  it  an  honour 
rather  than  an  incumbrance.  She  had  experienced  the  power  of  his 
prayers,  in  answer  to  which  the  child  had  been  given;  and  it  is 
extremely  probable  that  she  also  recollected  the  miracle  which  Elijah 
had  wrought  a few  years  before,  though  till  that  time  the  like  had 
not  been  known  in  Israel,  or  on  earth  ; I mean,  in  raising  from  the 
dead  the  child  of  that  widow  of  Sarepta  who  had  nourished  him 
during  the  famine.  She  might  therefore  think  it  a possible  case  that 
the  miracle  might  he  renewed  ; at  least,  she  knew  not  how  to  comfort 
herself  better  than  by  going  to  so  good  a friend,  and  asking  his 
counsels  and  his  prayers,  to  enable  her  to  bear  her  affliction ; if  it 
must  not  he  removed. 

Accordingly  she  hasted  to  him ; and  he,  on  the  other  side,  dis- 
covered the  temper  of  a real  friend  in  the  message  with  which  he 
sent  Gehazi,  his  servant,  to  meet  her,  while  she  was  yet  afar  off. 
The  moment  she  appeared,  the  concerns  of  her  whole  family  seem 
to  have  come  into  his  kind  heart  at  once,  and  he  particularly  asks, 
‘ Is  it  well  with  thee  ? Is  it  well  with  thine  husband  ? Is  it  well 
with  the  child  P ’ A beautiful  example  of  that  affectionate  care  for 
the  persons  and  families  of  their  friends  which  Christian  ministers 
who,  like  the  prophets  of  old,  are  called  Men  of  God,  should  habitually 
hear  about  in  their  hearts  ; which  should  he  awakened  by  every  sight 
of  them,  and  expressed  on  every  proper  occasion. 

Her  answer  was  very  remarkable : she  said,  ‘ It  is  well.’  Perhaps 
she  meant  this  to  divert  the  more  particular  enquiry  of  the  servant ; 
as  she  had  before  made  the  same  answer  to  her  husband,  when  he  had 
examined  into  the  reason  of  her  intended  journey,  as  probably  not 
knowing  of  the  sad  breach  which  had  been  made  : she  said,  ‘ It  is  well 
which  was  a civil  way  of  intimating  her  desire  that  he  would  not 


THE  SHUN  AMITE. 


73 


ask  any  more  particular  questions.  But  I cannot  see  any  reason 
to  restrain  the  words  to  this  meaning  alone : we  have  ground  to 
believe,  from  the  piety  she  expressed  in  her  first  regards  to  Elisha, 
and  the  opportunities  which  she  had  of  improving  in  religion  by  the 
frequent  converse  of  that  holy  man,  that  when  she  used  this  language 
she  intended  thereby  to  express  her  resignation  to  the  Divine  will 
in  what  had  lately  passed ; and  this  might  be  the  meaning  of  her 
heart,  though  one  ignorant  of  the  particulars  of  her  case  might  not 
fully  understand  it  from  such  ambiguous  words.  It  is  well  on  the 
whole.  Though  my  family  be  afflicted,  we  are  afflicted  in  faithfulness  ; 
though  my  dear  babe  be  dead,  yet  my  heavenly  Father  is  just,  and 
He  is  good  in  all.  He  knows  how  to  bring  glory  to  Himself,  and 
advantage  to  us,  from  this  stroke.  Whether  this  application  do  or 
do  not  succeed,  whether  the  child  be  or  be  not  restored,  it  is  still 
well  with  him,  and  well  with  us  ; for  we  are  in  such  wise  and  gracious 
hands  that  I would  not  allow  one  murmuring  word,  or  one  repining 
thought. 

So  that,  on  the  whole,  the  sentiment  of  this  good  Shunamite  was 
much  the  same  with  that  of  Hezekiah,  when  he  answered  to  that 
dreadful  threatening  which  imported  the  destruction  of  his  children, 

‘ Good  is  the  word  of  the  Lord  which  He  hath  spoken  ; ’ or  that  of  Job, 
when  he  heard  that  all  his  sons  and  his  daughters  were  crushed  under 
the  ruins  of  their  elder  brother’s  house,  and  yet  said,  ‘ Blessed  be  the 
name  of  the  Lord.’ 

Philip  Doddridge. 


l 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


74 


JEZEBEL 

E have  here,  perhaps,  one  of  the  most  terrible  examples  that 
has  ever  been  seen  of  the  justice  of  God ; hut  of  justice 
preceded  by  that  patience  and  long- suffering  of  which 
St.  Paul  speaks.  Jezebel  was  enjoying  in  peace  the  miserable  fruit  of 
her  many  crimes  and  impieties ; and  insolently  abusing  the  silent 
toleration  of  Him  whose  holiest  laws  she  had  trampled  under  foot. 
She  despised,  as  the  Apostle  expresses  it,  the  riches  of  His  goodness, 
not  considering  that  the  goodness  of  God  was  leading  her  to  repentance ; 
hut  after  her  hardness  and  impenitent  heart,  she  treasured  up  for  herself 
wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath,  and  perished,  when  she  least  expected 
it,  in  the  just  judgment  of  God. 

For  this  purpose  He  chose  Jehu,  one  of  the  generals  of  the  royal 
army,  and  commanded  Elisha  to  anoint  him  king.  And  when  Jehu 
was  come  to  Jezreel,  Jezebel  heard  of  it,  and  she  painted  her  face 
and  tired  her  head,  and  looked  out  of  a window.  Some  have  supposed 
that  what  led  Jezebel  thus  to  deck  herself  out  when  she  should  rather 
have  covered  herself  with  sackcloth  and  sat  in  ashes,  was  a hope  which 
she  dared  to  entertain,  that  the  murderer  of  the  king  would  feel  for 
her  a certain  indulgence  and  tenderness  when  he  saw  her  thus  arrayed. 
But  her  words  show  clearly  that  nothing  of  the  kind  was  in  her 
thoughts.  For  she  only  spoke  to  reproach  him  with  the  murder  of  the 
king,  and  calling  him  by  the  hateful  name  of  Zimri,  gave  him  to  under- 
stand that  he  could  look  for  no  better  fate,  no  more  worthy  reward  of 
his  deeds  than  that  regicide  of  former  days,  who,  seeing  himself  besieged 


JEZEBEL. 


75 


and  on  the  point  of  being  taken,  chose  rather  to  give  himself  to  the 
flames  with  all  his  house. 

It  is,  therefore,  more  likely  that  this  insolent  princess,  knowing  well 
that  death  was  not  to  he  escaped,  affected  to  the  last  a certain  loftiness 
of  soul  and  vain-glorious  courage,  and  in  this  temper  daubed  hersell 
with  paint,  and  decked  herself  with  ornaments,  that  all  might  see  that 
not  even  the  sight  of  her  foe  nor  the  imminence  of  death  could  move  or 
disturb  her.  Let  us  leave  philosophers  and  atheists  to  admire,  if  they 
will,  what  they  may  he  pleased  to  call  her  constancy  of  mind.  What 
Christian  will  not  be  horror-struck  at  the  callousness  and  insensibility 
which  a long  course  of  impiety  had  wrought  in  the  soul  of  this  queen, 
who,  knowing  that  she  was  about  to  appear  before  God  with  a 
conscience  burdened  with  all  the  abominations  of  Israel  and  the 
slaughter  of  so  many  prophets,  thought  only  of  saving  appearances  in 
the  eyes  of  men,  and  took  no  thought  to  appease  her  judge  or  implore 
His  mercy  ? 

We  cannot  think  without  shuddering,  of  the  fate  which  befel  her  at 
the  hands  of  Jehu,  by  whose  command  she  was  hurled  from  the  window, 
and  trampled  under  the  horses’  feet.  But  the  impiety  with  which  she 
had  herself  so  proudly  trampled  under  foot  religion,  justice,  and 
innocence,  must  appear  infinitely  more  horrible  to  all  who  judge  of 
things  by  the  light  of  faith.  They  know  that  what  seems  most  full  of 
horror  to  human  sense  is  hut  the  feeblest  image  of  that  which  is 
infinitely  more  horrible  in  the  eyes  of  God ; and  that  no  indignity  that 
any  creature  can  suffer,  however  outrageous  it  may  seem,  can  possibly 
approach  that  which  this  same  creature  offers  when  lifting  itself  up 
with  outrage  and  insolence  against  God  the  Creator. 


De  Sacy. 


76 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


ATHALIAH 

HESE  were  terrible  times.  While  Athaliah,  of  that  bloody 
race  of  Ahab,  usurped  the  royal  power  in  Jerusalem,  both 
kings,  the  kings  in  Jerusalem  and  Samaria,  had  fallen  by 
a violent  and  untimely  death.  But,  by  a strange  reverse,  the  worship 
of  Jehovah  attained  the  ascendancy  in  Israel  (though  the  symbolic 
worship  of  Jeroboam  was  still  tolerated),  while  idolatry  was  on  the 
throne,  and  threatened  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem.  The  revolutions 
in  both  cities  had  been  brought  about  by  merciless  carnage.  The 
politic  and  daring  Jehu  had  waded  to  the  throne  through  the  massacre 
of  the  whole  royal  race  of  Omri  ; the  true  religion  had  been  established 
by  the  indiscriminate  massacre  of  the  priests  of  Baal.  In  Jerusalem 
Athaliah  had  cut  off,  save  only  one  child  furtively  concealed  from 
her  murderous  hand,  the  whole  royal  lineage  of  David.  It  was  not 
the  mercy  of  Athaliah,  but  the  strength  of  the  priesthood,  which  had 
saved  them  too  from  her  fears  and  her  hatred. 

Israel  was  finally  delivered  from  the  fatal  house  of  Ahab  ; but 
Athaliah,  the  queen-mother  of  Judah,  showed  herself  a worthy  de- 
scendant of  that  wicked  stock ; and  scenes  as  bloody  defiled  the  royal 
palace  of  Jerusalem.  She  had  seized  the  vacant  throne,  she  had  put 
to  death  all  the  seed  royal.  One  child,  Joash,  had  been  secreted  in 
the  Temple  by  his  father’s  sister,  Jehosheba,  the  wife  of  the  High 
Priest.  Athaliah  maintained  her  cruel  and  oppressive  government 
for  six  years,  during  which  the  Temple  was  plundered,  and  the  wor- 
ship of  Baal,  exterminated  in  Samaria,  was  established  in  Jerusalem. 


ATHALIAH. 


77 


In  the  seventh  a formidable  conspiracy  broke  out,  headed  by  the 
High  Priest.  The  conspiracy  was  organized  with  consummate  skill : 
the  Levites  from  all  quarters  were  brought  into  Jerusalem,  and  now 
for  the  first  time  the  priesthood,  with  the  High  Priest  at  their  head, 
take  the  lead  as  guardians  of  the  monarchy,  as  well  as  representatives 
of  the  religion — that  religion  now  threatened  with  absolute  extirpa- 
tion, with  a rival  high  priest  of  Baal  confronting  them  with  equal 
pomp  and  power  in  the  holy  city  itself.  The  Temple  of  God  had 
been  plundered,  its  sacred  treasures  given  to  the  priests  of  Baalim. 

As  Athaliah  entered  the  courts  of  the  Temple,  she  beheld  the 
young  and  rightful  heir  of  the  kingdom,  crowned  and  encircled  by 
a great  military  force,  who,  with  the  assembled  priesthood  (none 
but  the  priesthood  were  permitted  to  enter  the  Temple),  and  the 
whole  people,  joined  in  the  acclamation,  God  save  the  King ! She 
shrieked  aloud,  Treason  ! treason  ! but  her  voice  was  drowned  by  the 
trumpets,  and  the  cries  of  the  multitude.  Incapable  of  resistance, 
she  was  seized,  dragged  beyond  the  precincts  of  the  Temple,  and 
put  to  death.  Jehoiada,  the  High  Priest,  who  assumed  the  control 
of  public  affairs,  the  king  being  only  seven  years  old,  commanded 
Mattan,  the  priest  of  Baal,  to  be  slain  in  his  temple,  and  totally 
suppressed  the  idolatrous  religion. 


H.  H.  Milman. 


78 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


THE  DEPOSED  QUEEN, 


HIS  life,  winch  seems  so  fair, 

Is  like  a bubble  blown  up  in  the  air, 
By  sporting  children’s  breath, 

Who  chase  it  everywhere, 

And  strive  who  can  most  motion  it  bequeath. 
And  though  it  sometimes  seem  of  its  own  might 
Like  to  an  eye  of  gold  to  be  fixed  there, 

And  firm  to  hover  in  that  empty  height, 

That  only  is  because  it  is  so  light. 

But  in  that  pomp  it  doth  not  long  appear ; 

For  when  ’tis  most  admired,  in  a thought, 
Because  it  erst  was  nought,  it  turns  to  nought. 


W.  Drummond. 


YASHTI. 


CANNOT  but  envy  the  modesty  of  heathen  dames.  Vashti 
the  queen,  and  her  ladies,  with  all  the  several  ranks  of  that 
sex,  feast  apart,  entertaining  each  other  with  a bashful 
courtesy,  without  wantonness,  without  that  wild  scurrility  which  useth 
to  haunt  promiscuous  meetings. 

The  last  day  of  this  pompous  feast  is  now  come.  King  Ahasuerus 
is  so  much  more  cheerful,  by  how  much  his  guests  are  nearer  to  their 
dismission.  Every  one  is  wont  to  close  up  his  courtesy  with  so  much 
more  passion,  as  the  last  acts  use  to  make  the  deeper  impression.  And 
now,  that  he  might  at  once  amaze  and  endear  the  beholders,  Yashti  the 
queen,  in  all  her  royalty,  is  called  for : her  sight  shall  shut  up  the  feast, 
that  the  princes  and  the  people  may  say,  ‘ How  happy  is  King 
Ahasuerus,  not  so  much  in  this  greatness  as  in  that  beauty ! ’ 

Seven  officers  of  the  chamber  are  sent  to  carry  the  message,  to 
attend  her  entrance,  and  are  returned  with  a denial.  Perhaps  Yashti 
thought,  ‘ What  means  this  uncouth  motion  ? More  than  six  months 
hath  this  feast  continued,  and  all  this  while  we  have  enjoyed  the 
wonted  liberty  of  our  sex.  Were  the  king  still  himself,  this  command 
could  not  be  sent.  It  is  the  wine,  and  not  he,  that  is  guilty  of  this 
errand.  Is  it  for  me  to  humour  him  in  so  vain  a desire  P Will  it  agree 
with  our  modest  reservedness  to  offer  ourselves  to  be  gazed  at  by  millions 
of  eyes  ? Who  knows  what  wanton  attempts  may  follow  on  this 
ungoverned  excess  ? This  very  message  argues  that  wit  and  reason 
have  yielded  their  places  to  that  besotting  liquor.  Nothing  but  absence 


80 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


can  secure  us  from  some  unbeseeming  proffer ; neither  doubt  I but  the 
king,  when  be  returns  to  bimself,  will  give  me  thanks  for  so  wise  a 
forbearance.’ 

Thus  on  the  conceit,  as  is  likely,  that  her  presence  would  be  either 
needless  or  unsafe,  Yashti  refuseth  to  come;  although,  perhaps,  her 
great  spirit  thought  much  to  receive  a command  from  the  hand  of 
officers.  The  blood  that  is  once  inflamed  with  wine  is  apt  to  boil  with 
rage.  Ahasuerus  is  very  wroth  with  this  indign  repulse.  It  was  the 
ostentation  of  his  glory  and  might  that  he  affected,  before  these  princes, 
peers,  and  people,  and  now  that  seems  eclipsed,  in  the  shutting  up  of 
all  his  magnificence,  with  the  disgraceful  affront  of  a woman.  It  vexes 
him  to  think  that  those  nobles,  whom  he  meant  to  send  away  astonished 
with  the  admiration  of  his  power  and  majesty,  should  now  say,  ‘ What 
boots  it  Ahasuerus  to  rule  afar  off,  when  he  cannot  command  at  home  P 
In  vain  doth  he  boast  to  govern  kings  while  he  is  checked  by  a 
woman.’ 

Whatever  were  the  intentions  of  Y ashti,  surely  her  disobedience  was 
inexcusable.  It  is  not  for  a good  wife  to  judge  of  her  husband’s  will, 
but  to  execute  it.  Neither  wit  nor  stomach  may  carry  her  into  a 
curious  inquisition  into  the  reasons  of  an  enjoined  charge,  much  less  to 
a resistance ; but  in  a hoodwinked  simplicity  she  must  follow  whither 
she  is  led,  as  one  that  holds  her  chief  praise  to  consist  in  subjection. 

I doubt  how  Ahasuerus  could  have  been  so  great  if  his  throne  had 
not  been  still  compassed  with  them  that  knew  the  times,  and  understood 
the  law  and  judgment.  These  were  his  oracles  in  all  his  doubts.  These 
are  now  consulted  in  this  difficulty.  Neither  must  their  advice  be 
secretly  whispered  in  the  king’s  ear,  but  publicly  delivered  in  the 
audience  of  all  the  princes.  It  is  a perilous  way  that  these  sages  are 
called  to  go,  between  a husband  and  wife,  especially  of  such  power  and 
eminency  ; yet  Memucan  fears  not  to  pass  a heavy  sentence  against 
Queen  Yashti  : ‘ Yashti,  the  queen,  hath  not  done  wrong  to  the  king 
only,  but  also  to  all  the  princes,  and  all  the  people  that  are  in  all  the 
provinces  of  the  King  Ahasuerus ; ’ a deep  and  sore  crimination. 


YASHTT. 


81 


I cannot  say  but  Yashti  was  worthy  of  a sharp  censure  ; I cannot 
say  she  was  worthy  a repudiation.  This  plaster  drew  too  hard.  It  was 
but  heathen  justice  to  punish  the  wife’s  disobedience  in  one  indifferent 
act  with  a divorce.  Nothing  but  unfaithfulness  can  either  break  or  untie 
the  knot  of  marriage.  Had  she  not  been  a queen,  had  not  that  con- 
temptuous act  been  public,  the  sentence  had  not  been  so  hard  ; now  the 
punishment  must  be  exemplary,  lest  the  sin  should  be  so.  Many  a one 
had  smarted  less,  if  their  persons,  if  their  place  had  been  meaner. 

The  king,  the  princes,  approve  this  heavy  judgment  of  Memucan. 
It  is  not  in  the  power  of  the  fair  face  of  Yashti  to  warrant  her  stomach. 
No  doubt  many  messages  passed  ere  the  rigour  of  this  execution.  That 
great  heart  knows  not  to  relent,  but  will  rather  break  than  yield  to  an 
humble  deprecation.  When  the  stone  and  the  steel  meet  fire  is  stricken : 
it  is  a soft  answer  that  appeaseth  wrath.  Yashti  is  cast  off.  Letters 
are  sent  from  the  king  into  all  his  provinces  to  command  that  every 
man  shall  rule  at  home.  The  court  affords  them  an  awful  pattern  of 
authority.  Had  not  Ahasuerus  doted  much  on  Yashti’ s beauty,  he  had 
not  called  her  forth  at  the  feast,  to  be  wondered  at  by  his  peers  and 
people  ; yet  now  he  so  feels  the  wound  of  his  reputation,  that  he 
forgets  he  ever  felt  any  wound  of  his  affection.  Even  the  greatest  love 
may  be  overstrained.  It  is  not  safe  presuming  on  the  deepest  assur- 
ances of  dearness.  There  is  no  heart  that  may  not  be  estranged. 

Bishop  Hall. 


82 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


DELIVERANCE. 


EAR  not,  0 little  flock,  the  foe 
Who  madly  seeks  your  overthrow, 

Dread  not  his  rage  and  power : 

What  though  your  courage  sometimes  faints, 

His  seeming  triumph  o’er  God’s  saints 
Lasts  but  a little  hour. 

Be  of  good  cheer ; your  cause  belongs 
To  Him  who  can  avenge  your  wrongs, 

Leave  it  to  Him  our  Lord. 

Though  hidden  yet  from  all  our  eyes, 

He  sees  the  Gideon  who  shall  rise 
To  save  us,  and  his  word. 

As  true  as  God’s  own  wTord  is  true, 

Nor  earth  nor  hell  with  all  their  crew 
Against  us  shall  prevail. 

A jest  and  by- word  are  they  grown  ; 

God  is  with  us,  we  are  His  own, 

Our  victory  cannot  fail. 

Amen,  Lord  Jesus,  grant  our  prayer ! 

Great  Captain,  now  Thine  arm  make  bare ; 

Fight  for  us  once  again ! 

So  shall  Thy  saints  and  martyrs  raise 
A mighty  chorus  to  Thy  praise, 

World  without  end.  Amen. 

Altenburg,  translated  by  C.  Wxnkworth. 


sa 


ESTHER. 


T was  late  before  the  Spirit  of  God  settled  and  established  an 
unanimous  and  general  consent  in  His  Church,  for  the 
accepting  of  this  book  of  Esther.  But  a long  time  there 
hath  been  no  doubt  of  it ; and  it  is  certainly  part  of  that  Scripture 
which  is  profitable  to  teach,  to  reprove,  to  correct,  and  to  instruct  in 
righteousness.  To  which  purpose,  we  shall  see  what  is  afforded  us  in 
this  history  of  this  heroical  woman,  Esther ; what  she  did  in  a per- 
plexed and  scrupulous  case,  when  an  evident  danger  appeared,  and  an 
evident  law  was  against  her  action ; and  from  thence  consider,  what 
every  Christian  soul  ought  to  do,  when  it  is  surprised  and  overtaken 
with  any  such  scruples,  or  difficulties  to  the  conscience. 

She  being  wife  to  the  king,  Haman,  who  had  great  power  with  the 
king,  had  got  from  him  an  edict  for  the  destruction  of  all  her  people, 
the  Jews.  When  this  was  intimated  to  her  by  Mordecai,  who  pre- 
sented to  her  conscience,  not  only  an  irreligious  forsaking  of  God,  if 
she  forbore  to  mediate  and  use  her  interest  in  the  king  for  the  saving 
of  hers,  and  God’s  people ; but  an  unnatural  and  improvident  forsaking 
of  herself,  because  her  danger  was  involved  in  theirs ; and  that  she 
herself  being  of  that  nation,  could  not  be  safe  in  her  person,  though  in 
the  king’s  house,  if  that  edict  were  executed,  though  she  had  not  then 
so  ordinary  access  to  the  king  as  formerly  she  had  had ; yea,  though 
there  were  a law  in  her  way,  that  she  might  not  come  till  she  was 
called,  yet  she  takes  the  resolution  to  go  ; she  puts  off  all  passion,  and 
all  particular  respects,  she  consecrates  the  whole  action  to  God : and 


84 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


having  in  a rectified  and  well-informed  conscience  found  it  acceptable 
to  Him,  she  neglects  both  that  particular  law,  That  none  might  have 
access  to  the  king  uncalled,  and  that  general  law,  That  every  man  is 
bound  to  preserve  himself ; and  she  exposes  herself  to  an  imminent, 
and  (for  anything  she  knew)  an  unescapable  danger  of  death : If  I 
perish,  I perish. 

Her  preparation  is  a humiliation ; and  there,  first  she  prepares 
that  that  glory  which  God  should  receive  by  that  humiliation  should 
be  general ; all  the  people  should  be  taught  and  provoked  to  glorify 
God ; go  and  assemble  all.  Secondly,  the  act  which  they  were  to  do 
was  to  fast,  and  this  fast  of  theirs  was  with  relation  and  respect  to  her  ; 
Fast  ye  for  me.  But  yet  so  as  she  would  not  receive  an  ease  by  their 
affliction ; put  them  to  do  it  for  her,  and  she  do  nothing  for  herself ; I 
and  my  maids  will  fast  too. 

Her  resolution  derives  itself  into  two  branches : first,  that  she  will 
break  a human  and  positive  law,  I will  go  in,  though  it  be  not 
according  to  the  law ; and  secondly,  she  neglects  even  the  law  of 
nature,  the  law  of  self-preservation,  If  I perish,  I perish. 

Whensoever  divers  laws  concur  and  meet  together,  that  law  which 
comes  from  the  superior  magistrate,  and  is  in  the  nature  of  the  thing 
commanded  highest  too,  that  law  must  prevail.  If  two  laws  lie  upon 
me,  and  it  be  impossible  to  obey  both,  I must  obey  that  which  comes 
immediately  from  the  greatest  power,  and  imposes  the  greatest  duty. 
Here  met  in  her  the  fixed  and  permanent  law  of  promoting  God’s 
glory,  and  a new  law  of  the  King  to  augment  his  greatness  and 
majesty  by  this  retiredness,  and  denying  of  ordinary  access  to  his 
person.  But  Esther  might  see  that  that  law  admitted  some  exceptions, 
and  that  no  exception  was  likelier  than  this,  that  the  King  for  all  his 
majestical  reservedness,  would  be  content  to  receive  information  of  such 
a dishonour  done  to  his  Queen,  and  to  her  God;  she  might  justly 
think  that  that  law,  intended  only  for  the  King’s  ease  or  his  state, 
reached  not  to  her  person,  who  was  his  wife,  nor  to  her  case,  which 
was  the  destruction  of  all  that  professed  her  religion. 


ESTHER. 


85 


It  was  then  no  sin  in  her  to  go  in  to  the  king,  though  not  accord- 
ing to  the  law ; but  she  may  seem  to  have  sinned  in  exposing  herself 
to  so  certain  a danger  as  that  law  inflicted,  flow  far  a man  may 
lawfully,  and  with  a good  conscience,  forsake  himself,  and  expose 
himself  to  danger,  is  a point  of  much  largeness,  and  intricacy,  and 
perplexity.  But  she  had  hope  out  of  the  words  of  the  law,  out  of  the 
dignity  of  her  place,  out  of  the  justice  of  the  king,  out  of  the  prepara- 
tion which  she  had  made  by  prayer;  which  prayer  Josephus  (either 
out  of  tradition,  or  out  of  conjecture  and  likelihood)  records  to  have 
been,  that  God  would  make  both  her  language  and  her  beauty  accept- 
able to  the  king  that  day : out  of  all  these  she  had  hope  of  good 
success  ; and  howsoever,  if  she  failed  of  her  purpose,  she  was  under 
two  laws,  of  which  it  was  necessary  to  obey  that  which  concerned  the 
glory  of  God.  And  therefore  Daniel’s  confidence  and  Daniel’s  words 
became  her  well,  Behold,  our  God  is  able  to  deliver  me,  and  He  will 
deliver  me ; but  if  He  will  not,  I must  not  forsake  His  honour,  nor 
abandon  His  service : and  therefore,  if  I perish,  I perish. 

It  is  not  always  a Christian  resolution  to  say,  If  I perish,  I perish  : 
I care  not  whether  I perish,  or  no : to  admit,  to  invite,  to  tempt 
temptations,  and  occasions  of  sin,  and  so  to  put  ourselves  to  the  hazard 
of  a spiritual  perishing.  Or  if  a man  have  nothing  in  his  contempla- 
tion but  dignity  and  high  place ; if  he  have  not  virtue  and  religion, 
and  a conscience  of  having  deserved  well  of  his  country,  and  the  love 
of  God  and  godly  men,  for  his  sustentation  and  assurance,  but  only  to 
tower  up  after  dignity,  as  a hawk  after  a prey,  and  think  that  he  may 
boldly  say,  as  an  impossible  supposition,  If  I perish,  I perish ; as 
though  it  were  impossible  he  should  perish ; he  shall  be  subject  to  that 
derision  of  the  King  of  Babylon,  How  art  thou  fallen  from  heaven,  0 
Lucifer,  thou  son  of  the  morning ! how  art  thou  cast  down  to  the 
ground,  that  didst  cast  lots  upon  the  nations ! 

But  that  provident  and  religious  soul,  which  proceeds  in  all  her 
enterprises  as  Esther  did  in  her  preparations,  which  first  calls  an 
assembly  of  all  her  countrymen,  that  is,  them  of  the  household  of  the 


86 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


faithful,  the  congregation  of  Christ’s  Church,  and  the  communion  of 
saints,  and  comes  to  participate  the  benefit  of  public  prayers  in  His 
house  in  convenient  times  ; and  then  doth  the  same  in  her  own  house, 
within  doors,  she  and  her  maids,  that  is,  she  and  all  her  senses  and 
faculties ; this  soul  may  also  come  to  Esther’s  resolution,  to  go  in  to 
the  King,  though  it  be  not  according  to  the  law ; though  that  law  be, 
that  neither  wanton,  nor  thief,  nor  drunkard,  nor  covetous,  nor 
extortioner,  nor  railer,  shall  have  access  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
yet  this  soul,  thus  prepared,  shall  feel  a comfortable  assurance  that 
this  law  was  made  for  servants,  and  not  for  sons,  nor  for  the  spouse  of 
Christ,  His  Church,  and  the  living  members  thereof. 


John  Donne. 


RAFFAELLE. 

O my  lord,  give  her  the  living  child,  and  in  no  wise  slay  it. 


NORTHCOTE. 


GUERCINO. 

But  the  queen  Vasliti  refused  to  come  at  the  king’s  commandment. 


GUERCINO. 

Cast  out  this  bondwoman  and  her  son. 


SCHRADER. 

So  will  I go  in  unto  the  king  ; and  if  I perish,  I perish. 


ARY  SCHEFFER. 

Inlreat  me  not  to  leave  thee,  or  to  return  from  following  after  thee. 


1 

I 


ARY  SCHEFFER. 

And  Jacob  kissed  Rachel,  and  lilted  up  his  voice,  and  wept. 


PORTAELS. 

Leah  was  tencler-eyed ; but  Rachel  was  beautiful. 


OESTERLEY. 

And  she  went  with  her  companions,  and  bewailed  her  virginity 
upon  the  mountains. 


HILTON. 

1 he  man  took  a golden  ear-ring  and  two  bracelets  for  her  hands. 


GUIDO. 

And  Lot  went  up  out  of  Zoar,  and  his  two  daughters  with  him. 


THE  GETTY  CENTER 
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